


Sunsets and Storms

by ElowenLL19



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, Slow Burn, fraxus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:41:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 44,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26097304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElowenLL19/pseuds/ElowenLL19
Summary: Out on a mission and faced with death, Freed confesses his love to Laxus. Freed unashamedly loves Laxus and tries to overcome his heartache in order to remain by his Thunder God's side. Meanwhile, Laxus is forced to confront his own emotions and fears.
Relationships: Laxus Dreyar/Freed Justine
Comments: 20
Kudos: 93





	1. The Start of the Journey

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic, so feel free to leave comments or feedback. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or its characters.

Freed relaxed against the train window, tucked into his seat as his fingers ghosted over the cover of his book. The gold-inscribed title flickered as the sunlight streamed into the compartment, between the passing trees. His fingers skimmed through the pages until they reached the bookmarked third chapter. Freed opened the book completely, huddling further into himself, intent on spending the entire train ride reading.

He only managed two pages before he paused, marveling at the incredible intellect of the author. Freed couldn’t fathom how the author devised script magic that altered an opponent’s emotions. He noticed it functioned along the same vein as his Dark Ecriture: Fear spell. Yet, he had never heard of any other feasible emotional manipulations. Freed increased his perceived power level, not his opponent’s inner emotions, in order to intimidate them.

The author, the brilliant bastard, described runes that could theoretically alter an individual’s emotions within their brain. Of course, the lack of proper rules mixed with shady morals could lead to more nefarious outcomes. Luckily, this book was the first, and hopefully only, copy to exist.

According to the attached note, the author requested that Freed review the theoretical evidence and provide criticism. It was apparent the author desired the opinion of another intellect well-versed in script magic. It was an advanced theory. The fact the author thought so highly of his abilities flattered Freed, but he knew publishing this book came with great risk. Freed frowned in thought, trying to build a compelling argument so the author understood the moral implications of this power. Considering everything in the text he’d read so far implied the author was one note away from using the magic arbitrarily, Freed believed that was most prudent. A soft groan near his elbow startled him out of his spiraling mind.

Freed’s shoulders slumped as he glanced down at Laxus. The dragon slayer curled on his side with his arms crossed over his grimacing face. Freed’s heart clenched at his dear friend’s pain, his eyes softening. He subconsciously reached out a hand, carding his fingers through the blonde hair, trying to soothe the motion sickness away. Laxus tensed, cracking one eye open at the sudden contact.

With another soft groan, Laxus’ eyes slipped closed and he relaxed into Freed’s comforting hand. Despite his concern, Freed’s mind drifted back to the spell. He couldn’t help but wonder if it were possible to cast on Laxus, easing his motion sickness. A sharp seizing sensation in his gut stopped that train of thought. He chastised himself. Altering another’s emotions so drastically was morally reprehensible, and thoroughly against the rules. Even with good intentions, his conscience reminded him. He sighed deeply, about to return his attention to the book in question when Bixlow called his name. 

Freed glanced at the seith mage, tilting his head. “Why’d we have to take such a boring mission anyway?” Bix moaned, head falling back dramatically. “I’ve never even heard of this so-called dark guild. I mean, what kind of name is White Fox for a dark guild?” Bix scoffed. “It doesn’t make sense, this isn’t even an S-Class mission.” His brows scrunched as he scratched his chin. “These weaklings won’t stand a chance against us anyway and it’ll be no fun beating them so quickly," he pouted. His tikis bobbed around his head in agreement. Bix leaned forward, head falling into his hands as he gazed at Freed.

“I understand your doubts, Bix.” Freed paused, straightening up, fingers stilling in Laxus’s hair. His mouth quirked to the side as he gathered his thoughts. “Honestly,” he sighed, glancing at Evergreen when she closed her magazine. “Mira personally requested that we take this mission and that should be reason enough.” He narrowed his eyes at Bix and Ever, knowing that wasn’t the case. They would pester him for more information regardless. Their defiant gazes confirmed this for him, making him smirk at his two friends.

“However,” he relented, “I brought up similar concerns myself and questioned her reasoning.” Freed felt Laxus shift under his hand and glanced down, locking eyes with the dragon slayer. He already planned on sharing the potential risks of the job with his three companions, but that didn’t release the tight clenching in his gut. Freed shifted in his seat, anxiety prickling his skin and making his palms sweat. He removed his fingers from Laxus’s hair, cognizant of his clammy skin.

“She told me that the man who put in the request is the leader of a small village, just outside of Oshibana actually. He gave few details. When pressed for more, he acted as if it were a couple of dark guild members messing with the village. Nothing nefarious. Mira said he sounded truly afraid to say more though, and would not give her any information on the guild members. She believes someone coerced the man into making light of the attack. She fears that this unknown dark guild wants to draw out some of the lower-ranked Fairy Tail wizards and eliminate them. She based this judgment on minimal information. The only other fact worth noting, and the reason she chose us in particular, is that the man mentioned some ‘weird purple letters’ he saw. Mira believes they may have a runic mage amongst them. She asked us to take this mission and proceed with caution.” Freed shifted in his seat, three pairs of eyes piercing him. He bit his lip in thought.

“Frankly, it does seem a bit suspicious. Whether her intuition is correct or not, I would rather not take that risk.” The tension in the train cart was nearly palpable, the implications of the information settling deep within each passenger. It appeared that a seemingly unknown guild wanted to wage war against Fairy Tail. It was even more disconcerting considering their guild’s high, albeit tumultuous, standing. Bix’s maniacal laughter broke the tension in a matter of seconds. Laxus rolled his eyes, smirking at the seith mage. Ever huffed, locking eyes with Freed, both shrugging.

“Oh baby, so this could be a great fight then,” he shouted, excitement pouring out of him, his laughter not subsiding. His tongue lolled out again, eyes crinkling in mirth. His tikis flew around him, chanting, “fight,” “fight,” “fight.”

Ever punched his arm, “you buffoon, this is serious. This guild could be trying to pick a fight with Fairy Tail,” she scolded. Her effort was wasted and another bout of laughter bubbled from Bix as he collapsed to the floor. Ever glared at him, but the corner of her mouth twitched, the only indicator of her resolve crumbling. Several seconds passed before Ever toppled in laughter at his antics. “Fine, I guess it’ll be a good fight. I mean, we are the Thunder Legion after all. Of course we can handle a couple of wannabe dark guild members,” she beamed, laughing off her worry, chin held high.

Freed sat silently throughout the exchange, the unease that settled in his gut not subsiding. He examined all the possible scenarios, trying to create a plan of action for each. Laxus grunted and rolled over, facing the back of the seat with his eyes squeezed shut in pain again. Freed opened his book once more with his mind half on the content, half on their current mission, fingers subconsciously drifting back to Laxus’s hair, twirling the strands. A nearly imperceptible sigh escaped the dragon slayer’s lips.

Hours passed filled with the excited chattering of Evergreen and Bixlow about the potential powers of the dark guild members. As the conversation veered toward more silly powers with Bix and Ever crumpled in laughter, the train lurched to a stop at Oshibana station. Freed sprang into action, collecting his and Laxus’s bags from the compartment above their heads. Laxus remained laying until his three comrades were ready to disembark. He steadied his breathing, attempting to quell the raging motion sickness. Luckily, within a minute, the nausea lessened to a bearable amount.

The Thunder Legion followed the crowd off the train with a trailing Laxus. Upon stepping onto solid ground, Freed immediately set the bags down and pulled out the map Mira gave him. Laxus rolled his shoulders, stretching out the discomfort as his arms reached skyward. Evergreen double-checked that all their bags were off the train. Bixlow made quick work of trying to bug Freed by continuously flicking the runic mage’s lightning bolt cowlicks. Freed ignored Bix in favor of the map, his clenched jaw the only giveaway of his annoyance. Bixlow’s grin widened as each second passed until Freed determined the quickest route possible to Lurfelt Village and folded the map once more, swatting at Bix in the process. There was a single carriage route that led to the village, but Freed wanted to avoid more transportation for Laxus’s sake and in case there was an immediate fight.

There was a small forest between Oshibana and Lurfelt Village, and based on a quick scan of the map, it seemed safe. At the very least, it appeared to Freed that there weren’t any habitats well suited for dangerous creatures. Freed prided himself on his knowledge and survival skills. He was fairly certain they would be able to pass through the forest without incident. It would only be a two-hour walk, meaning they would arrive in the village before sunset.

Freed gathered the group closer, showing them the map as well. Freed locked eyes with Laxus for a moment, analyzing his face. Upon classifying Laxus in better health, he proceeded to explain the plan, swatting Bixlow’s finger away. “Based on my examination of the map, I believe we could safely pass through the forest on foot. This would allow us to arrive in the village just prior to sunset.” A look of relief passed briefly over Laxus’s face at the lack of further transportation before he schooled his features once more.

The team gathered their bags. Laxus grabbed his own bag, now fully recovered from the motion sickness. Freed tossed his bag over his shoulder before leading his team through the streets of Oshibana. Bixlow dragged his bag through the dirt behind him until Ever scolded him. He lifted his bag, pouting. Freed strode confidently through the streets, winding around the crowds with his team trailing behind him. He occasionally glanced back at Laxus. Logically, he knew that Laxus was well once more, but he couldn’t prevent the involuntary movements. His subconscious always worried about his Thunder God.


	2. Off to the Village

Freed forced himself to focus on the task, eyeing the map in his hand. The town melded into the forest with a few scattered trees and some simple fences. There was no path through the trees, so Freed began forging his own. The Thunder Legion followed their captain into the woods without hesitation. The sun was still high in the sky and offered enough light to see their surroundings. He eyed the immediate vicinity as he plowed on, scanning for any threats.

Freed pulled out his compass, maintaining a western course, cutting through the dense foliage. He could hear the quiet conversation between Bix and Ever playing out behind him. He scarcely bothered to pay attention, more focused on staying the course. However, when the conversation turned to whispers Freed felt a prickle of unease settle over him, knowing he was the topic.

He stealthily glanced back, noticing that Laxus had his headphones on, walking directly behind Freed. The two gossips brought up the rear. They weren’t looking at Freed, so he tried to calm the queasy feeling in his gut. He turned back, narrowly missing a tree branch in his distraction. A bark of laughter followed his panicked limbo. He turned back to glare at Bixlow and caught Laxus smirking at him, equally amused. Freed glared at Laxus for good measure before turning around, huffing as he straightened his jacket.

Several eerily quiet seconds passed before Freed felt something ram into his back. He took a deep breath, counting to ten as he felt another jab in his back. He whipped around to face Bixlow’s tikis swirling around behind him, another one aimed and ready to charge. Freed sidestepped the flying tiki and glared again at Bix. Bix just laughed maniacally, Ever following suit, before he made kissing motions to Freed and pointed to Laxus. Freed’s eyes widened as he glanced at Laxus, only to see the dragon slayer laughing at the tikis currently bouncing off his head.

He tried to calm his racing heart before swatting at the irksome tikis. He spun, heels digging into the dirt before marching forward. He ignored the mocking behind him, jaw twitching as he adjusted his sword in its sheath. The rest of the journey passed uneventfully. The only sounds were the chattering excitement of Ever and Bixlow, and the soft music coming from Laxus’s headphones. Consulting his map, Freed knew the village should be visible in a matter of minutes. He double-checked his compass, gliding between the trees. His companions were less graceful, branches snapping as they pushed them aside.

“Well shit, there it is!” Bix yelled, rushing to the front of the group, grinning widely at Freed. “Let’s go check in with the leader so we can eat, I’m starving,” he bellowed. Bixlow ran down the hill to the village center, nearly tumbling twice, his babies chanting “food,” “food,” “food,” behind him, rolling in the air. Freed chuckled, gazed back at his two other companions.

“I believe his name is Mr. Jurst, and he lives in this building here.” Freed pointed to a secluded building on the far edge of the village. Laxus and Ever nodded, looking out at the small village. Freed glanced down the hill, only to gasp and run after the seith mage, mumbling about the misbehaviors of his chaotic friend. Ever watched warmly as Freed followed their eccentric friend, already scolding the man for harassing a poor woman with his tikis. Laxus let out a small chuckle before walking leisurely down the hill, Ever by his side.

“Are you worried about this mission?” Ever’s tone turned serious, brows creasing as she twirling the ends of her hair through her fingers. “Because despite how confident I am in our skills, I don’t like not knowing all the facts before going on a job.” She turned to look at Laxus, counting on him to be honest and straightforward.

“I ain’t worried. I can probably get more information out of this Jurst guy now that we’re here anyway.” Laxus cracked his knuckles, grinning at Ever. She laughed, rolling her eyes, hoping the meeting would loosen the stone lodged in her gut.

As they approached their companions, they noticed Freed pulling Bixlow down the cobbled street by the ear. Laxus and Ever passed the terrified lady, her mutterings of “groping tikis” barely audible. Ever laughed, running up to the two mages. “Seriously, Bix? That’s a new low. That woman’s probably scarred for life because of you and your damn babies,” she teased, eyeing the seith mage. He stuck his tongue out at her, his guild emblem blazing in the sun. He tipped his head sideways, completely looking the part of a crazed mage.

“I was just asking the pretty lady out for a drink. What can I say,” he howled, “my babies have a mind of their own.” His grinned widened as his tikis began creeping toward Ever, each one giggling.

Ever sputtered, “yeah, your perverted mind!” She eyed his babies suspiciously, covering her chest. “That poor lady," she mumbled, walking closer to Freed, "groped by flying tikis."

Freed scowled at Bixlow, “that was very improper, Bix, you should be ashamed of yourself.” Bix snickered again, not fazed in the least by Freed’s wraith. Instead, his eyes lit up, fingers wiggling as he lured his babies closer until they circled him. He whispered into their non-existent ears, all the while locking eyes with Freed. Freed’s gut clenched, not knowing what to expect from the renowned prankster.

Freed gulped, backing up several paces as the tikis turned to face him, noticing the maniacal gleam in Bix’s eyes, only to bump into something sturdy. Freed whipped around, coming face to face with Laxus who had one eyebrow raised, glancing down at Freed with a smirk. “Laxus. I apologize. I was uncertain what-” he cut off as something rubbed against his backside. Freed let out an undignified squeal, jumping at the unexpected contact and twirling to glare at the perpetrator. 

He stalled in his movements as he came face to face with a mob of tikis, a couple trying to maneuver behind him and rub against his backside again. Freed swatted at them, glaring at Bixlow. “Bix, stop this at once,” he scolded, which only made Bixlow cackle harder, doubling over with howling giggles. Evergreen stood beside him snorting in laughter, clutching her stomach.

A soft chuckle from behind Freed had him turning wide, betrayed eyes onto Laxus, his Thunder God. He continued pushing the tikis away, facing going red. However, that only made it more funny and Laxus unleashed a deep belly laugh that Freed rarely heard. A small smile snuck onto Freed’s face at the sound of Laxus’s genuine laughter despite Bixlow’s appalling behavior. “Come on, Bix, please, call off the hounds,” Freed begged. He jumped out of the way of a sudden charge of tikis headed straight for him, all barking like dogs, and nearly toppled into a bush.

“Okay, okay, come on babies, let’s leave the poor man alone,” Bix chuckled, catching his breath. His tikis retreated, returning to their master.

As soon as the assault stopped, Freed took a deep breath, brushed himself off, and continued down the road, head held high. “Let’s keep moving.” His comrades followed, the laughter slowly subsiding. Freed let himself smile, his face hidden from view as joy filled him, remembering the sounds of Laxus’s genuine laughter.

It only took a couple minutes to reach Mr. Jurst’s home, considering the small size of the village. Freed stepped up, knocking on the door as his comrades stood beside him.

The door opened a crack, a small man peeking his head through. “Are you the wizards from Fairy Tail?” His voice came out gruff, as if he was in dire need of some water. He hunched a little, waiting for a reply. His eyes held a great amount of suspicion before widening upon seeing Freed. Freed nodded, holding out his left hand, displaying his green guild mark.

“Hello, Mr. Jurst. My name is Freed Justine. This is Laxus, Evergreen, and Bixlow,” Freed introduced, pointing at each in turn. “May we come in, please?” Freed asked, polite as ever. The small man sighed before unlocking his door further and stepping aside. Once the team was indoors, he quickly shut and locked the door, peeking out the window on his tiptoes. He turned around, waving at the furniture and offering seats before bustling to the kitchen to prepare sandwiches for his guests. He returned shortly after, setting the plate of food and water on the coffee table with trembling fingers before seating himself in a chair near the fireplace.

Freed glanced around, trying to gather information as Bixlow and Laxus dove for sandwiches. Ever primly leaned forward, pinching one sandwich between her delicate fingers. She grimaced at Bix as he shoved two whole sandwiches into his mouth at the same time, food spilling out the corners. Freed peered around. It seemed like the man was alone, and he couldn’t sense any other magical energies in the small home. He nodded to himself, grabbing a sandwich and sitting back on the couch. Laxus remained standing, looking altogether too large for this small cottage. Freed chuckled internally at how intimidating Laxus must appear to the quivering homeowner.

“You were the one that sent in the request, correct?” Freed asked. The man nodded in reply, glancing at Laxus, hands twitching. “Could you tell us more about the guild that’s tormenting your village, Mr. Jurst?” Freed leaned forward, hoping to gather new information. He saw the man swallow harshly, gazing at the windows briefly before his eyes landed back on Freed.

Shifting in his chair, the man explained the situation. It was verbatim all the information they were given on the job listing. He opened his mouth to speak again before closing it, glancing at the window. Several seconds passed in silence with Freed pondering the request, hoping the man would talk more to fill the silence. Laxus finished his three sandwiches and swiftly grabbed a glass of water, chugging the entire thing in one go.

“Are you strong wizards?” the man suddenly asked, eyes roaming the room, almost as if he expected an attack.

Laxus scoffed, “‘course we are.”

Mr. Jurst glanced once more at the window before a determined expression crossed his face. He leaned toward Freed, “you must know, the two are not what they seem. I can’t tell you more, because I don’t understand it myself, but even I can feel that the magic energy coming off them isn’t natural.” He shivered, eyes shutting involuntarily. “They made me do it, you know. They forced me to put in that job request. Threatened the death of my entire village if I refused.” Eyes springing open, he glanced at the windows, “I don’t know why, but they wanted Fairy Tail wizards here.” He locked eyes with Freed, “they wanted you.”


	3. Mission Briefing

Freed’s blood ran cold, “me? Why would they be after me?” He couldn't keep the small trace of fear from his voice as he spoke. The sound of glass shattering startled the occupants of the room, each turning to Laxus in shock. He stood off to the side, eyebrows drawn and lightning crackling at his fingertips, the shards of glass piled below his feet. Freed rushed to his side, his fear quickly replaced by his concern for Laxus, eyeing the small droplets of blood running down his hand which was still clenching a few pieces of glass.

Laxus let out a low growl, sparks of his lightning crackling around him. “Like hell I’ll let that happen,” he bellowed. Freed gently wrapped his fingers around Laxus' injured hand, trying to calm him.

“Yeah, baby,” Bix shouted, pumping his fist in the air. His tikis hummed in agreement, bobbing around him.

“No way we’ll let them get our Freed,” Ever exclaimed. Freed’s heart warmed at his comrade’s love.

Freed pulled Laxus' fingers apart to remove the pieces of glass. He stared up at the lightning mage, surprised by the raw emotion, the anger and fear swirling in his eyes. Laxus took a deep breath, glancing at Freed. "I'll be okay,” Freed whispered, so low only Laxus could hear. Laxus nodded briefly, the tumultuous emotions calming in his eyes. Bix and Ever exchanged a look, her eyebrow quirked. Freed, upon sensing the change in Laxus, made quick work of cleaning and wrapping his hand.

After a few minutes of Freed cleaning the glass off the floor and apologizing to their host profusely, Laxus cut in. "Why are they after Freed?"

“I don’t really know why they're after you. All they mentioned was that they wanted the mage with the long green hair.” Again, Mr. Jurst glanced at the window before cautiously eyeing Laxus, waiting for another outburst.

“How would they even know Freed would be the one to take the job?” Laxus questioned, stepping forward briefly, trying to intimidate the man into sharing more. Mr. Jurst glanced at Laxus, pulling away from the lightning mage and sitting back into his chair.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know. They just told me what to say. You must realize by now, this is not a typical dark guild.” His eyes sharpened, “the two in charge, there’s something so unnatural about them, but I can’t place the reasoning. The rest of the guild is just thugs brought in to intimidate my villagers. The two in charge though,” he sighed deeply, glancing pityingly at Freed, “they are determined to get you, any means necessary, and you need to watch your back.” Freed gulped and startled when he felt a hand clasp his shoulder, only to relax significantly when he saw Laxus.

“This is bullshit,” Ever exclaimed loudly, glancing at Freed, “what could they use Freed for? There's plenty of rune mages easier to trap. This doesn’t make sense. And how do they even know him?” She glanced at Bixlow, who nodded in affirmation, his tikis chanting “no sense,” behind him.

Laxus growled, startling the small man for the second time that evening, his eyes going wide in sudden fear of the dragon slayer. “There’s no way we’ll let them have you, Freed, so do what you do best, and figure out a plan.” Freed locked eyes with Laxus, the confidence radiating off his Thunder God easing the worry squirming in his gut. He nodded, determined to figure out a course of action. Laxus removed his hand and Freed instantly frowned at the lack of warmth. “Do you know where they’re camping out?” Laxus aimed his question at Mr. Jurst.

“No, I’m not sure, they’re scarcely around, and they trudge off into the woods after storming through our village, but other than that, I don’t know.” He looked toward the window, his paranoia finally getting the best of him as he sprung from his seat, rushing to peek through the curtains. A soft sigh was heard from the startled occupants in the room. “Look, I don’t know where they are, but they’ll be back soon enough, I can guarantee that. Especially if they know you’re here.” He spoke to Freed, making the worry itch at his gut again. “You can stay here until they show up.”

“I think that would be best. Statistically, our odds of winning a fight are better here than if we tried to find them in the woods when it’s dark out. I think we should take turns keeping watch in pairs while the other two rest.” Bix and Ever nodded their agreement, already deciding to pair off together and take the first shift.

“The two of you resting can take the spare bedroom.” The small man pointed at a door to the left of the fireplace. Laxus brushed past everyone into the bedroom, glancing at the two twin beds, before sitting on the one beside the window, glancing out into the darkness, nostrils flaring slightly as he sniffed the air for anything out of the ordinary.

Freed thanked the man, who left to the kitchen, preparing tea for the two mages staying awake. Looking toward Evergreen and Bixlow, Freed sighed, “I’m not sure what to make of all this yet, but I think it would be best if I set up a runic enchantment around the house to alert us if anyone appears.” Ever and Bix nodded, expressions serious. Freed used his finger, concentrating on the formation of his runes in the air before moving his finger back as the runes sunk into the walls of the cottage. “That should alert us if anyone approaches the building.”

“Freed, try to get some rest, okay?” Ever leaned over, hugging Freed briefly before pulling back. He nodded, smiling softly at her. He walked into the bedroom, eyeing Laxus who was still staring out the window.

“You set up runes?” Laxus whispered, turning to Freed, eyes soft.

“Yes, I’ll wake if anyone approaches the building.” Freed sat on the bed opposite Laxus, laying his sheathed sword on the space beside him. “You should try to get some rest, Laxus.” Freed sighed, settling into his bed.

“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to, knowing these dark wizards are after you,” Laxus murmured, glancing at his comrade. Freed’s heart fluttered knowing that Laxus was worried for him.

He smiled softly, “I set up runes. I’ll be okay, just try to sleep for me. Please?” Laxus grunted, laying his head on the pillow, watching Freed. “It’ll be okay, Laxus,” Freed whispered before closing his eyes, willing himself to get a couple hours of sleep, internally frowning at how many times he's had to say that to Laxus this evening to try to calm him, when even Freed is unsure of the truth of the statement himself.

He sighed deeply. He needed his mind fully operational if they were going to face a formidable opponent hellbent on kidnapping him, so he focused on breathing deeply and relaxing his body. Laxus spent several minutes watching his comrade and listening intently to the sounds outside until he heard the quiet snore of his companion. Knowing Freed wasn’t being kept up with worry eased the clenching in his gut, if only slightly, allowing him to close his eyes and drift off to sleep, listening to the quiet, comforting chatter of Bixlow and Evergreen.


	4. Keeping Watch

Several hours later, Laxus jolted awake to Freed smiling down at him, shaking his shoulder. As he took in his surroundings, glancing out the window and sniffing the air, he noticed Bix and Ever standing nearby. “Come on, Laxus, it’s our turn to keep watch,” Freed whispered, pulling Laxus further from slumber, offering his hand to help him up. Laxus grunted, clasping Freed’s hand and rising from the bed. Freed released Laxus, turning and grabbing his sheathed sword, attaching it to his waist again. He walked into the living room, closely followed by Laxus. 

Ever and Bixlow settled, surprisingly quietly, into their respective beds. Mr. Jurst was apparently in his bedroom sleeping soundly as he was nowhere to be found. Freed walked into the kitchen to make himself and Laxus some tea, preparing for a long night. The thought of spending so much time with only Laxus for company pulled a small smile onto his face, a fluttering feeling pooling in his belly. He heard Laxus move around the room, glancing out the windows was Freed’s guess, before settling onto the couch. Freed heard the soft sound of music floating through the quiet room.

Once the tea was made, Freed inhaled the sweet aroma as he walked into the living room, offering Laxus a mug before sitting in the chair with his own. Seeing Laxus laying on the couch, eyes closed and headphones half on so he could still hear any movement from outside, Freed smiled. He could easily watch the nearly indistinguishable emotions crossing Laxus’s face for hours, thrilled with the small glimpse into his heart. He forced himself to turn his eyes away, however, and began contemplating the potential dark uses for his magic. 

He knew some forbidden magic, and he knew several dark ecriture spells that could be used for great evil, but they would need to find a way to force him into using those spells. His eyes landed on Laxus, knowing he would do nearly anything to keep Laxus, Bix, and Ever safe. His brow furrowed in concern, eyes glancing toward the window the man kept checking earlier. He shuddered thinking about the possibilities. He had to remind himself to think logically, knowing that thinking of Laxus tended to bring out his more emotional side.

Freed shook himself, trying to clear his mind. If these dark guild members wanted Freed, they would be faced with four highly capable wizards. According to Mr. Jurst, there were several thugs, but only two wizards in charge of the operation. Statistically, the fight should be in their favor. However, Mr. Jurst had said that there was something unnatural about the two wizards. Freed pondered the information, racking his brain for any texts that mentioned altering a wizard’s magical energy. Nothing came to mind, so he was left with the conclusion that they were more than likely demons of some sort. 

Freed took a moment to still his racing heart, managing to pull in several deep breaths at the thought of fighting two demons. He glanced at Laxus once more, watching as he breathed slowly in and out, his chest barely moving. Freed calmed after a few seconds of analyzing Laxus, determined to remain logical and clear-headed. After a final, steadying breath he pulled out the book he was reading previously, looking for a distraction.

Less than an hour had passed before Freed was struck by the horrendous brilliance of the author once again. The author was further explaining the uses of altering another’s emotions with runic magic. He explained that, theoretically, you could even completely distinguish between all the emotions in a human mind and separate them slightly, pulling one to the surface and cloaking another. It was incredible and horrifying. Goosebumps played out on Freed’s skin, a cool clammy feeling accompanying them. The information in this text, with all the immoral possibilities, was dangerous. 

Once this mission was over, Freed knew he would have to search for this author and confront him. He shuddered to think about what would happen if any dark guilds got their hands on this book. He froze in that train of thought, immediately closing the book and locking it shut with several runic spells, of which no one could break without an immense amount of time. In his rush to create the runes, he didn’t notice Laxus sit up suddenly, eyeing the runes with confusion as they closed securely around the book before glancing around the room in suspicion.

“What’re ya doin’, Freed?” He asked slowly, wearily, eyeing the rune mage as he swiftly finished writing the last rune, finger posed on the cover of the book.

“I apologize if I startled you, however, I suddenly realized how dire our situation would become if this book landed in the hands of any dark guild members. I had to take precautions. Only I can access this book now, unless a castor has several hours and a plethora of magical energy to expend.” Freed tucked the book into his bag, shoving it underneath his clothes and supplies.

Laxus looked at him sharply, "Why’s it so dangerous? I mean, it’s just a book.” He questioned, eyeing Freed’s bag with skepticism. Freed sighed, knowing Laxus never truly understood how much knowledge and magic could be learned simply from reading a book. Just from reading the first several chapters, Freed already knew how to, theoretically, cast the spell, which runes to create, and where to place them. He hadn’t even finished the book and he could recreate this dangerous magic, if his rules and morals weren’t so opposed to it, that is.

Freed sighed, knowing he had to at least attempt to explain the dangers, especially so Laxus could help him keep the book out of enemy hands. “Look, I’m not entirely sure who this author is, but he’s damn brilliant,” Freed spoke, his cussing catching Laxus off guard, making his eyebrows raise as he smirked at the runic mage. “I know,” Freed chuckled, “but I can’t describe his genius any other way. Of course, this type of magic, in the wrong hands, could be extremely dangerous, even life-threatening.” Freed paused, glancing around the room, wondering how much he should share with the dragon slayer. It wasn’t a matter of trust, it was a matter of trying to keep his Thunder God safe.

Freed huffed, knowing that wasn’t an option, and that Laxus would continue trying to gather as much information as possible about this potentially deadly spell. “The author sent me the book to get my thoughts on the process and the spellwork, since I’m a higher ranking, reputable runic mage, alongside editing the book itself. I’ve never met the man, but he’s also a rune mage. The knowledge in this book refers to a process in which the castor could take complete control of another’s mind, altering their emotions.”

“Isn’t that similar to what Bix can do though? Taking over souls, controlling people?” Laxus asked, trying to follow Freed’s logic and clearly understand the threat.

“It’s along a similar vein, yes," he hesitated, shifting slightly. "However one main difference is that this type of spellwork has no limits. It’s quite terrifying, actually. Bix can only take over a living soul, one at a time, upon eye contact. This spell isn’t bound to those restraints. The only limiter in taking control of several target’s emotions at once is the amount of magical energy of the castor and their level of focus. Also, this spell doesn’t take over the soul, it alters emotions. Imagine someone altering your mind, making you inexplicably angry. Would you even notice if you hurt a teammate with that blazing rage? Would you be able to control your magic?" Freed paused as Laxus's eyes widened in understanding. A small amount of lightning pooled in Laxus's fists at the thought.

"Exactly. Another major, more terrifying difference between this spell and Bix’s soul control magic," Freed continued, "is that once Bix no longer makes eye contact, the individual returns to normal. That is not true about this magic. Once altered, the emotions are forever changed unless reverted back by a castor. You see where I’m going with this, right, Laxus? You see why we can’t let this book fall into the wrong hands? The dangers are limitless and unending,” Freed finished, heart pounding in his chest as he eyed the shocked dragon slayer. Laxus glanced down at Freed's chest, hearing the increased beats, letting the lightning in his palms dissolve for Freed's sake.

“Jeez, Freed, I had no idea your magic was that powerful,” he spoke softly, locking eyes with the rune mage. “I think it’s a good thing you locked that book up.” He glanced again at Freed’s bag, this time with a slight frown. He turned to Freed, a grim expression on his face. “You don’t think these two hacks are after you for that book, do ya?” Freed sucked in a breath, surprised he hadn’t come to that conclusion as well.

“I’m not sure, I suppose it’s possible,” Freed trailed off slightly, eyes glazing in thought. “Though, as far as I know, I’m the only one besides the author, and now you, who knows about this book,” he muttered, thinking aloud. 

Freed shook his head, “I believe it’s related to something else. The author had mentioned that he was waiting to do anything more with the book until I gave him my feedback. I wrote him the next day explaining that I would do just that. I don't believe anyone else knows about the book or its whereabouts.” Freed gave a small smile to Laxus, trying to ease his Thunder God’s worry. “I can’t say why these individuals are after me, but I can say that I believe in our abilities. I believe we will defeat them.” He smiled fully at Laxus, trusting him whole-heartedly. Laxus returned the gesture, if only briefly, before nodding and sitting back on the couch, slipping his headphones half on again. Freed’s eyes softened at the more relaxed dragon slayer, before moving to that window again, the one the small man kept checking.

Freed jumped to his feet in shock upon seeing two pairs of glowing orange and white eyes at the window. He brandished his sword hastily and within two leaps was at the window, peering through it and seeing nothing but darkness, the eyes no longer lingering. Laxus jumped to his feet as soon as Freed dashed to the window. Laxus leapt to the window, nostrils flaring as he peered outside, but there was nothing. No sign of anyone. Freed turned toward him and sheathed his sword.

“I apologize, I must have been seeing things,” Freed bowed his head, cheeks tinged a slight pink. Laxus patted his shoulder briefly before walking back to the couch, though he resolved himself to keep a better ear out for any movement, because he trusted Freed’s eyes, ears, and instincts. Freed walked back to his chair, sitting gingerly and eyeing that damn window again, still nothing to be seen. He sighed heavily, muttering another apology to Laxus.

“Don’t worry about it,” Laxus replied gruffly, subtly sniffing the air again for any signs of another presence nearby, just in case Freed wasn’t mistaken.

A couple of hours passed in silence, both men quietly contemplating the situation, alongside all the new information that Freed discovered.


	5. Campsite in the Clearing

When 8 o’clock in the morning came around, Freed casually rose from his seat. “Mind waking the other two while I make something for breakfast?” Freed asked, stretching his arms above his head, a soft crack emanating from his back. Laxus grunted in agreement before standing and walking into the guest bedroom, shaking their two comrades awake. Freed hummed as he whisked eggs together, almost as if he wasn’t about to face a dangerous foe after his own head. It didn’t take long for Freed to make enough food for everyone, knocking politely on their host’s bedroom door to include him in the meal. He brought the tray of food out into the living room, setting it on the table in front of his three comrades. He grabbed a plate for himself and sat in the chair by the fireplace, quietly eating his warm meal. Several moments passed in silence before their host came out to join them.

“So, cap,” Bix slung his arm around Freed, “think they’re gonna show up here or should we go look for the cowards now that it’s light out?” Bix laughed, not worried in the slightest about the eminent battle.

“It might be better to go look for them and try to end this quickly, right?” Ever’s eyes crinkled in worry despite her carefree tone.

“I’m not sure. It would lessen any town damage if we sought them out, which would reduce the risk to the villagers," he trailed off. "Though, we would be at a disadvantage if they noticed us coming before we even found them," Freed thought aloud. He shook his head. "No. Laxus will be able to prevent that from happening. I believe pursuing them to be our best course of action. What do you think, Laxus?” Freed asked Laxus, who was currently shoving food into his mouth despite the high temperature of it, a trait that seemed specific to all dragon slayers.

“Let’s just get this over with,” he grumbled, finishing the food on his plate in one last, mammoth-sized bite.

Freed looked slightly revolted at the lack of manners, but brushed it off quickly in favor of readying himself for battle. He pulled away from Bix to attach his sword to his waist, along with the compass and map. He stuffed all his other belongings into his bag before placing it in the guest room beside his comrade’s bags. “Does anyone need anything from their bags before I place runic locks around them?” Freed asked the other three, each shaking their head no. Freed began placing runes around the bags, making sure no one could access their supplies, especially that book.

“Why’re you locking them up anyway, Freed-o?” Bix asked, laughing at his paranoia. “Not like anyone’s gonna wanna steal your panties, ya know,” he teased, causing Ever to chuckle. Laxus’s face turned serious again, thinking of the book that he knew Freed was protecting. Locking eyes with him, Freed shook his head, signaling that the other two should be excluded from this knowledge, at least for the time being. Laxus grimaced briefly before nodding to the rune mage.

“Ah, leave him alone, he’s just being cautious,” Laxus spoke casually, seemingly without a care in the world. Freed gave him a small smile before finishing the runes and joining his team.

“Mr. Jurst,” Freed addressed their host, earning a questioning look from the small man. “Do you know which direction the two dark wizards went in the woods?” He smiled at the man, hoping for at least a small bit of direction to go on so they weren’t wandering the woods for hours.

“Oh, yes, I mean, I saw them head to the east, just behind my own house.” He walked to the window he kept glancing at the night before. “If you look out this window, you can see a small parting between the trees. That’s where they usually go.” He finished, allowing Freed to glance through the window, a slight shiver ghosting over his skin as he remembered the glowing eyes from earlier. He turned around, shaking off the prickling sensation on his neck.

“Alright, thank you Mr. Jurst, we’ll see you shortly. Lock the door behind us so no thugs bother you,” Freed spoke to their host, giving the man a grin before heading out the door, that clenching feeling returning to his gut. He headed straight for the parted trees with a wave, the other three following closely behind.

The team deftly made their way through the forest in search of the dark guild. Laxus led the team, using his hypersensitive hearing and sense of smell in an attempt to locate the enemy. Laxus let a small growl escape in frustration as multiple scents mixed, making the path to their camp harder to pinpoint. He paused, glancing at his fellow companions, gesturing for them to stop moving and remain silent. He listened intently for any twigs snapping or distant footsteps. He wasn’t entirely sure, but he thought he could make out the sounds of a small scuffle roughly 100 yards out to their left. Laxus took a moment to try to pinpoint the scents coming from that direction, but again had trouble distinguishing between them because there were so many mingling about the forest. He gave the rest of his team a hand signal to follow behind him, heading toward the noise.

Freed watched Laxus veer to the left determinedly before consulting his map and checking for any indicators of a clearing large enough to house a campsite. Nearby, in the direction Laxus was heading, it appeared there was a small field, just enough room for a small base camp. Freed stopped Bixlow and Evergreen who were about to walk past him and gave a low, nearly inaudible whistle, signaling for Laxus to stop as well, knowing he would hear him. He waved the dragon slayer over and pointed out the clearing on the map. Laxus nodded, that looked to be about as far away as the sounds were coming from. 

Freed examined the direction of the wind, wanting to emerge in the clearing downwind in case there were any mages with sensitive noses, like Laxus. He pointed to an area Northwest of the assumed campsite. Freed glanced at his team in confirmation of the location, receiving a nod from each before he folded the map and tucked it back into his bag. Laxus began leading the way again, hoping to be able to hear or smell anyone approaching them to avoid a potential ambush in unfamiliar territory.

The team crept forward, following Laxus, stealthily maneuvering through the underbrush until they came into view of the clearing, which housed several tents. Freed examined the clearing, noting several people walking about the camp, seemingly just cooking food or gathering supplies. Freed imagined these were the low ranking thugs Mr. Jurst had mentioned. He counted maybe 18 total, unless there were some hidden inside tents, which was entirely possible. Freed analyzed the campsite, seeing no sign of the two wizards in charge. 

He glanced to Laxus, brows furrowed and held up the number two. Laxus understood, nostrils flaring slightly as he tried to pick up any unique scents, and listened intently for anyone not milling around the campsite but came up empty. He shook his head at Freed, who nodded in understanding. He supposed it was probably in their best interest to quickly incapacitate the thugs before searching for the two ringleaders of the operation. Though Freed couldn’t help the sinking feeling in his gut, hoping this wasn’t a ploy for an easy ambush while they’re distracted by the thugs. Freed quickly shook that thought from his mind, trusting Laxus’s abilities whole-heartedly, and knowing he would be able to sense anyone else nearby.

Freed knew the best plan of action would be to attack swiftly and most effectively while they had the element of surprise on their side. He reflected quickly on each of the teams more long-range abilities, trying to figure out which attack would use the least amount of magical power on their end while taking out the thugs in a large group rather quickly. Freed nodded to himself before turning to Evergreen, and once he locked eyes with her he motioned from her to the thugs and used a gun hand gesture to indicate which attack he thought she should use. Ever’s eyes sharpened at the motion, understanding instantly what he was requesting. Both Bixlow and Laxus seemed to be following along with the plan as they moved to the side to allow Evergreen to crawl forward, offering her a clear view of the campsite. Ever spent several seconds memorizing where each wizard was standing before closing her eyes and taking a deep, steadying breath.

Ever forced her wings through her skin to the surface, resting beautifully against her back. She moved quietly, positioning herself below an opening in the trees before launching into the air, hardly making a noise with her light fairy wings. Once in the sky with a clear view of the open field, she positioned herself above the camp, making sure she could see all the guild members, but remaining far enough away so she wasn’t drawing attention to herself. Slowly, she started moving her arms around, generating magical energy to produce her luminous fairy dust. “Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun,” she shouted, rapidly creating sharp, needle-shaped energy blasts from the luminous dust particles, aiming them directly at each guild member, all of which had looked toward the sky hastily at her shout. She continued generating more and more energy needles as her arms moved rapidly until every low ranked member of the guild was unconscious. She stilled her arms, the light energy fading from the air around her before she slowly flew back to her own guildmates, beaming.

“Well done, Ever. As graceful as a fairy, as always,” Freed smiled at his friend, proud of her for quickly taking out the thugs. She grinned at him. “I think we should search the camp for any clues to the leader's whereabouts now,” Freed suggested, already cautiously walking into the clearing, headed for the tent in the very center, the largest one. The rest of his team slowly followed, spreading out to search the other tents.

Freed approached the large tent cautiously, using the edge of his sword to slowly push the door flaps open. Upon seeing no one inside, he paused, trying to sense any magic entrapments on the tent or anything within. Nothing. Nodding to himself in satisfaction, Freed stepped inside, walking over to a makeshift desk with several tomes spread across its surface. He carefully sifted through the piles of texts, seeing if there was any indication on their magical abilities or their interest in Freed. Upon realizing that most of the books were in reference to a magic similar to his own or what was described in the book he had hidden, he began questioning whether they were after Freed at all, or merely the knowledge he held. 

His suspicions were shortly confirmed after shuffling through the rest of the contents of the makeshift desk and discovering the note he had sent the author. He stared at it for a moment in puzzlement before a feeling of dread wormed its way into his gut at the thought that they perhaps already knew about the contents in Freed’s book, but perhaps not the execution of the spellwork. Freed steadied himself before rushing out of the tent, eyes seeking out his teammates.

“Laxus,” Freed shouted, eyes landing on his Thunder God. He hurried over to the lightning mage, “they’re after the book.” Freed tried to control the slight panic rising in him, but knew that Laxus could hear the increase in his heart rate regardless. He took a steadying breath, “I know they’re after the book, we must head back to the village.” Laxus’s expression turned grim at the implications. He nodded gruffly at Freed as Bixlow and Evergreen approached. 

“I know why they’re here,” Freed addressed the other two members of his team. “They’re after a tome I brought with that contains information about a potentially dangerous spell.” Bix and Ever nodded in understanding, not even questioning why their captain would have something so dangerous in the first place, trusting him whole-heartedly. That thought warmed Freed, knowing they had such faith in him. “I’m unsure of their magical abilities, but if they are runic mages as well, they could already have the book in their possession.” Freed nodded, more to himself than his team before running in the direction of the village, his team following close behind.


	6. Freed's Fight

Laxus rushed to the front, relying on his superior senses to alert him to anything suspicious before they got to the village. After several minutes of running, Laxus signaled to the group to stop, knowing they’re only several feet out of earshot of the two mages. The team slowed, creeping forward stealthily in order to better gauge the situation. 

They heard shouts in the distance, but remained partially hidden behind the trees, trying to get a view of the two mages. One mage, a young woman, with bright orange hair and an outfit to match, roughly grabbed Mr. Jurst by the collar, holding him up against the wall. The other woman, with bleach white hair and a bluish-white outfit, sneered at him. Just from looking at their faces, it was obvious they were related, perhaps even twins of some sort, by Freed’s guess. They had the same mannerisms and facial expressions, almost eerily similar, Freed thought.

“They’re asking about you,” Laxus glanced at Freed briefly before turning back to the scene, anger creasing his brow. A low growl escaped his throat as he analyzed the pair, listening intently. After a minute passed, Laxus sighed, “they’re not offering any information. I think we should intervene now.” Freed nodded, glancing at Bix and Ever for confirmation as well. Laxus stood, striding over to the women confidently, his teammates close behind him. The orange-haired girl dropped Mr. Jurst roughly before turning to the newcomers, her assumed sister following suit. Their glares were nearly identical, each taking a fight stance quickly. Mr. Jurst gaped at the Fairy Tail mages, eyes wide in fear, before scuttling off to a neighboring house for refuge from the eminent fight.

“Give us the book, come with us, and no one will get hurt,” the blue-haired mage snarled, eyes locked on Freed. Freed stood his ground, expression serious despite the startling hatred rolling in the woman’s eyes.

“Not gonna happen,” Laxus shouted, rushing toward the orange-haired mage, intent on ending the fight as quickly as possible, lightning sparking from both fists. Bix and Ever were quick to follow, heading toward the white-haired mage, Ever generating luminous dust in preparation of an attack and Bixlow ordering his babies into formation. Freed sped toward Laxus’ opponent, sword drawn and his Dark Ecriture: Slay spell on the tip of his tongue. The orange-haired mage produced streams of yellow magical energy in her right hand in preparation of Laxus’ attack. The white-haired mage rushed to follow suit with blue magical energy swirling from her left palm.

Freed abruptly cut his attack short, a startling shout of “halt” stopping his remaining team members as well, his slay attack piercing the ground several feet away from the two women. Freed stood glued to his spot, witnessing as stray bits of magical energy began pooling between the two women and clashing harshly with one another. Freed had never seen magic act that way before, so unresponsive to its wielder despite the otherwise incredible control the two women showed with the majority of the magical energy. It was almost if their magical energies were fighting for dominance, which Freed thought, didn’t make logical sense.

“Laxus,” Freed spoke low, making sure that only the dragon slayer could hear him. “I think Mr. Jurst was correct, there is something unnatural about their magical energies.” Laxus gave an almost imperceptible nod of agreement. “I’m unsure what could cause that,” Freed admitted ashamedly, trying to process the information. He couldn’t quite erase the slight unease in his gut at the fact that there was something he didn’t know, but he pushed that feeling aside in lew of their current predicament. 

Bix and Ever starred at Freed and Laxus in confusion, prepared to attack, but waiting for their captain’s orders. The two mages seemed unwilling to initiate the attack, which served Freed well, allowing him a moment to gather his thoughts around this new information. Freed quickly raced through possible reasons for the unnatural magical energy, alongside potential courses of action given this information. Landing on a decision, Freed started writing runes behind his back with his finger, preparing his Jutsu Shiki in case their magic build too dangerously.

“What are your intentions with the book and with me?” Freed asked suddenly, a theory slowly growing in the back of his mind.

“We need to make things right,” the orange-haired mage shouted, eyes blazing at Freed’s question. She growled, her magical energy jumping spasticity in her palm, ripping through her companions magical energy.

“We need that book. Just give it to us and we won’t hurt you or your comrades,” the white-haired girl yelled, facial expression mirroring her partners.

Laxus let out an aggravated breath before glancing briefly at Freed, the smallest hint of an apology written in his eyes. “Screw that,” he growled before charging toward his opponent once more. Ever and Bix hesitated, hoping to hear Freed’s agreement, but received nothing. They surged forward, deciding to help regardless, so that Laxus wasn’t faced with two opponents at once. They both rushed toward the other woman once more.

“Lightning Dragon Roar,” Laxus shouted, attack aimed directly at the orange-haired woman. She reacted quickly, dodging the brunt of the attack. She still received a shock from the lightning with the accompanying mild paralyzing effect, leading to Laxus punching her square in the jaw with his lightning covered fist. She glared daggers at the dragon slayer, hopping out of reach and readying her own attack, the small spindles of magic still fighting with her partners.

“Solar God’s Bellow,” she shrieked, her bright white energy attack poised at Laxus whose eyes widened in shock at the unexpected God Slayer magic. He narrowly missed her attack, diving backward, but before he could gather his bearings and prepare another attack, he was hit with her swirling yellow magical energy.

Evergreen quickly donned her wings and flew above the white-haired mage, generating her luminous energy around her arms.

“Baryon Formation, babies,” Bixlow yelled, ordering his tikis into a circular formation above the opponent, near Evergreen. The tikis began creating a whirlwind with a large beam of magical energy appearing in the hollowed center. They raced toward the white-haired mage below. She dodged the attack, the ground where she once stood destroyed. Amidst the whirlwind, Evergreen flew around, “Fairy Bomb: Gremlin,” she shouted, sending her dust particles to surround the mage who had just dodged Bixlow’s attack, before igniting the particle energy, creating an explosion.

The white-haired mage emerged from the explosion, leaping toward the pair, “Lunar God’s Bellow,” she roared, creating a black energy stream from her mouth. Bixlow and Evergreen narrowly missed the powerful attack.

Freed watched the commotion happening near him, theorizing that the spell in the book was used on them, but he was unsure of how or why. He believed they needed the book to reverse whatever its effects were. However, it appeared neither of them were rune castors, so Freed believed he was safe from death, at the very least, because they could use him. With those thoughts racing through his mind, Freed decided to do something drastic. A stray bolt of blue magical energy hurled toward him as he rushed forward into the fray, “dark ecriture: reflect,” he shouted, barely managing to send the attack hurtling back toward the white-haired mage.

Freed launched himself into the midst of the battle, dodging several attacks at once. “Dark ecriture: darkness,” he bellowed, transforming into his demonic form with a gasp from Evergreen. He could feel the gazes of his comrades on him as he used his forbidden magic, but he knew it was necessary for his plan to work. In quick succession, Freed shouted an apology and casted “flare bomb,” at all three of his teammates, with the knowledge that the attack wouldn’t severely injure his friends, simply knock them back several paces. The shocked faces of his comrades as he launched them away from the two mages sent deep, weighted guilt surging into his gut.

Freed locked eyes with Laxus as the dragon slayer was sent flying backward. “I’m sorry,” he repeated quietly, knowing only Laxus would hear. He dropped to the ground, shedding his demon form and casting Jutsu Shiki, locking himself and the two dark mages inside his runes together.


	7. Jutsu Shiki

“These rules are infinite and absolute,” Freed stated, staring at both mages as they halted their attacks. “No intentional physical harm from any persons within these runes shall be placed upon any of the remaining occupants. All questions asked will be answered with honesty and accuracy.” Freed paused as Laxus began pounding on the runes behind him, his angry shouts of betrayal and stupidity echoing in the corners of his mind. 

He steadied himself, focusing on the rules he imposed. “Finally, I will help you if I deem it morally appropriate to do so.” The magical energy surrounding both mages lessened after Freed spoke of his potential help, their eyes lighting with suspicion, but also an unmistakable trace of hope. “These rules are binding and unyielding. Any attempt to break said rules will be punishable by a fate worse than death.” Freed spoke in an eerily quiet voice, a dark, promising glint in his eye. He finished marking the rules, the runes glittering around them.

Laxus continued pounding on the runes, his fist beating against the surface, his angry shouts bouncing off the runes, muffled. “I’ll be okay, Laxus,” Freed spoke so softly he was sure only Laxus could hear him. The shouts subsided, a low growl replacing the bellowing voice. Ever’s whispered “be careful” and Bixlow’s “yeah, baby,” in response warmed Freed’s heart like only his pseudo-family could.

“Now,” Freed began, gathering the two mages attention once more, compiling his thoughts. “I have a theory,” he spoke softly, intent on gathering all the facts and not riling them up once more. “I believe you both know the contents of the book I hold in my possession, is that correct?” He watched as both women slowly nodded, bound to honesty. “Do you know how to perform such a spell?” He questioned, voice low and threatening.

Both women went wide-eyed at the sudden power radiating off Freed. “No, we don’t know how to use it, but we need that spell,” the orange-haired woman spoke, hurriedly trying to placate the runic mage.

“Then it is my theory that this spell was used against you, am I correct in that assumption as well?” Freed reigned in his magic, calming at the knowledge that these women were incapable of using such a spell. The orange-haired mage gasped and the white-haired woman dropped all her magical energy, leaving an empty palm.

“How do you know that?” The white-haired woman asked, and Freed was surprised to see her eyes watering. He instantly felt sympathetic, reaching the logical conclusion that the spell was used on them against their will.

“Your insistence on correcting the situation. So, could you please tell me what happened?” Freed asked gently, a low growl of his name from somewhere behind him was the only indicator from Laxus that he should still remain cautious. He internally shook himself. He didn’t know all the facts yet and it would be dangerous to grow too sympathetic and underestimate his opponents.

“I grew up in a village down the road,” the orange-haired woman spoke, eyes downcast and watering. Her magical energy calmed as she gripped her sister's hand. “There was a raid by a dark guild when I was 14. They were searching for a man who had stolen their loot and tracked him to our village. They slaughtered several people in pursuit of him, including my parents.”

“Wait. Where was your sister?” Freed questioned, brow quirked. “Was she not in the village with you?” He glanced at the white-haired mage. Both women gave a hollow laugh, tears stuck in their eyes.

“You’ll understand soon enough,” the white-haired woman spoke softly, not answering his question, but abiding by the rules placed in the runes nonetheless.

“Shortly after I was taken in by a man named William Knight,” the orange-haired woman continued, “the village's scholar. In exchange for food and shelter, I worked for him. Often that included sneaking into homes or buildings and stealing tomes, but sometimes it was simply cleaning his home. He was a very wealthy man, but he only gave me what I earned.” The white-haired woman pressed closer to her partner, entwining their fingers together. Freed noticed the gesture caused sparks of magical energy to clash around their joined fingers, but seemed to offer them both comfort regardless.

“As the years passed, he forced me to learn two types of God Slayer magic, both Solar and Lunar, from some of the books he had stolen. I assumed it was so I could help him train his own magic. He was a runic mage as well,” she eyed Freed, a sense of understanding growing within him. He nodded for her to continue. “He constantly wanted to test his new spells on me. Usually, they were harmless. A few times they weren’t." She tucked her hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture, a scar on the underside of her arm visible from the movement.

She sighed deeply. "A couple years ago, however, he began getting really secretive about the spells he was working on. He said he had big plans in store for us. I didn’t understand, but I was fed and had a home, so I didn’t question him. A couple of months ago, he pulled me into his office, quickly locking me to a seat with his enchantment. He said he wanted to test a spell on me. At first, it was simply making me slightly more happy when I was sad or vice versa. Slightly altering emotions I already felt. Then it progressed into more complex emotions. Even going so far as to make me feel emotions I had never experienced before. This lasted several weeks, each session progressing more and more. Though he always reverted my emotions back to their usual state, or at least at first he did." She trailed off for a moment, brow crinkling in thought.

"And of course, he still fed me and offered me shelter. And again, the effects were minimal at first, so I didn’t object to his experimentation." She paused, shrugging and glancing at her comrade before taking a steadying breath. "Then he locked me in his cellar. The experiments grew more drastic. He was attempting to split my magic." She laughed humorlessly, a bitterness she felt to her very core seeping through.

Her grip on her comrade's hand tightened as she spoke, "I understood instantly why he required me to learn two conflicting magic types. I was terrified. I wanted to leave, but he kept me chained in the cellar, experimenting every night. He kept meticulous notes, every night altering the process. Until one night, he came in and worked for several hours, slowly ripping my magical energy, all my emotions, into two separate entities." She locked eyes with Freed, a burning hatred filling her eyes, though Freed knew it wasn't directed at him. Fred's eyes widened in realization. "You see, our name is Sari, and that man ripped my soul, my magic, and my emotions in two.”

The two mages stared defiantly at the shocked faces of the mages standing before them, waiting for either pity or disbelief. Several seconds ticked by, and when neither emotion was seen on their opponent's faces, the two women calmed slightly. Freed was deep in thought, weighing his options and calculating all the risks.

"Anyway, once we were separate," the white-haired mage spoke, gaining Freed and his companion's attention once more, "we accidentally broke free of our confines as our magical energies clashed. We both passed out due to the sheer amount of energy released. When we woke, Knight was gone, but we found a clue. We found a note from a one Freed Justine about the book he had comprised all of his notes within. We immediately started searching for you. At first, we just wanted the book, so we tried to draw you out here," she looked slightly ashamed as she spoke, head bent down.

"But maybe," she whispered, trailing off. "Maybe with your magic you could help?" She asked, voice wavering and eyes hopeful. Freed knew in that instant that helping them was indeed morally appropriate, and despite the potential calculated risks to Freed's own well-being, he was rule-bound to comply.

Freed sighed deeply before turning around to face his teammates. Ever's eyes were teary as she stood close to the barrier. Bixlow was quiet, for once, his tikis following suit. He gave them a smile, conveying all the love he felt for his family in the curve of his lips and the softness in his eyes. They both nodded, smiling back, not understanding the risk Freed was about to take. One glance at Laxus proved that wasn't the case with him. The anger and deep worry in his eyes made Freed's heart race. Laxus rarely showed this much emotion, and the concern Freed saw warmed his heart.

Acting on instinct, Freed walked to the barrier, palm extended until his fingers brushed the runes in front of Laxus, making them glow an eerie purple. "I'll be okay," he spoke, loud enough for all his companions to hear. He smiled softly at Laxus. "I love you," he whispered, chuckling slightly, not even hearing the words himself really, but the slight surprise, followed closely by sadness in Laxus' eyes showed that he heard him. With one last smile, Freed turned back toward the two mages.

"Dammit, Freed, don't do something so reckless!" Laxus slammed his fist into the runes as he bellowed. "You don't have to do this!"

Freed's heart clenched, knowing the potentially fatal risk he was about to take to help these two mages. His eyes watered briefly at Laxus' concern before he steeled his emotions. He needed to focus in order to help them and remain in one piece.

"I will help you. Even if I weren't rule-bound to comply, it is morally required of me to offer my services when they are necessary." Freed stated, moving toward the two women.

"Freed, dammit!" Laxus shouted. He knew the risks. He knew Freed didn't know the spell completely. Bix and Ever might have not understood at first, but Laxus' behavior cued them in. Ever began crying. Freed heard the soft sniffling behind him, and his heart clenched painfully.

Lightning rained down around the runes as Laxus continued pounding on the barrier, knuckles already bruising.

"Freed, come on, baby, we can find another way to help," Bixlow coaxed. Freed was resolved, however, and his team knew it. Ever reached out, gripping Bixlow's hand. He squeezed her fingers briefly, watching Freed.

The two mages in front of him eyed him with concern. "Are you sure you are able to help?" the orange-haired Sari asked, glancing hesitantly at her other half.

"Yes," Freed spoke confidently. He knew he could complete the runes and stitch her soul back together, that was never the issue. The problem was that he didn't know the effects it would have on himself. Or if he even had enough magical energy to complete it.

"Please," Laxus spoke loudly, but his voice broke at the end. That one word, that word that Laxus rarely used, almost made Freed change his mind, his heart shattering, but he knew that wasn't a possibility, regardless of his emotions. He tried to tune out the sounds of his comrades behind him. He let the quiet sobs of Ever drift away, the emotional mutterings of Bixlow as he tried to form another plan drift away, and the pounding of Laxus' fist on the runic barrier drift away. He internally chided Laxus, knowing his knuckles would be bleeding by now. He cleared his mind of emotions, focusing only on his flowing magical energy.

Freed grabbed both mages unoccupied hands, and indicated that their fingers should remain entwined on their other hand. Freed pulled both hands near him, palms up, and with a steadying breath began writing the necessary runes on each palm. As the runes appeared, Freed concentrated on their magical energies, trying to weave them back together first. That was easier, because the magical energy was both a physical and internal entity, so he began weaving the yellow magic back in with the blue magic. It took several minutes, but it seemed that piecing things together was easier than separating them. Perhaps because the magical energies wanted to connect again, Freed thought. Perhaps it was only clashing before because it was attempting to piece itself back together and couldn't find a way.

Once their magical energy was connected again, he moved onto their emotions. At first, he thought it would take hours to shuffle through all the emotions, but then he realized, connecting the emotions back together through the neural pathways and the emotional cortex was easier. It also left no room for error, and no emotions could be forgotten. It took several minutes for Freed to write out the runes, making sure he was exceedingly specific in his writing, because any small error could result in permanent damage. Freed could already feel these runes drastically draining his own magical energy, but he pushed forward regardless.

Eyes squeezed tight in concentration, Freed connected the last part of her emotional pathway before searching out her soul through his runes. He was shocked to find it completely ripped in two, despite what she had said. He thought it would be similar to her emotions and magic, which was carefully pulled apart. Her soul looked torn in half, aggressively pulled in two directions, as if the madman had grown reckless and hasty. That must have been akin to death, Freed thought, a shiver ghosting his skin. Not even his Jutsu Shiki would torment a rule-breaker's soul so horribly.

Freed slowly began the process of weaving her soul together once more. As fast as he was writing the runes on their palms they were disappearing into the skin. He knew this was different than Knight had done it, but writing on the individual seemed more direct and consistent. Also, he hoped it would be less painful, but the whimpering sounds coming from both women made Freed unsure about that.

As he wove her soul back into one, he sensed their bodies were beginning to form back into one as well. Their screams echoed through his brain, distracting him momentarily from his runes. Freed shook himself, trying to ignore the shrieks of pain and the squirming of the two women as their bodies merged. Freed felt extremely drowsy suddenly, as his magical energy was nearing depletion, but he pressed forward.

He hazily heard Laxus and his team shouting his name in panic as Freed fell to his knees before the two mages, but he ignored it, focusing on the runes. Only a few more, he thought, only a few more strands. A final, ear-piercing scream echoed through the village as Freed pieced the final strands together. He knew it worked without opening his eyes because he was currently only holding one palm. He wrote the final runes into the soft palm, finalizing the spell work. Freed slowly opened his eyes to see his Jutsu Shiki fading as the enchantment ended, alongside the beaming smile of a beautiful girl who looked whole once more. Freed smiled briefly in joy and pride before blackness consumed his vision and he felt himself fall backward.


	8. Catching Up

Freed slowly woke to the sound of shuffling feet, his head throbbing painfully against his skull. He took a deep breath, trying to adjust to the pain, his eyes instinctively squeezing further shut. He couldn’t help himself as a soft whimper escaped his lips at the pain.

“Freed,” he heard shouted from somewhere to his right, knowing instantly that the voice belonged to his Thunder God. “Porlyusica! Wendy! He’s waking up,” Laxus continued shouting beside him. 

Another whimper escaped Freed’s lips at the sudden spike of pain the shouting caused. Laxus seemed to have heard the noise as Freed suddenly felt the warmth radiating off the lightning mage right beside his bed. Laxus quickly reached out, squeezing Freed’s hand in his own, a softly muttered “sorry,” accompanying the gesture. Laxus released Freed’s fingers with an almost imperceptible sigh. Freed’s heartbeat quickened at the caring gesture, despite the absurd pain his mind was in.

“You had us really worried,” Laxus whispered. “I was worried,” he trailed off. “I was worried you’d never wake up,” he admitted, so quietly Freed wasn’t sure he heard the lightning mage correctly. Never wake up, Freed thought hazily, that hardly makes sense. 

Freed startled, doors banging open. He assumed he was in the guild’s infirmary, considering who Laxus had called for earlier. Based on the amount of times he or one of his comrades had been in the infirmary, he could almost picture it without opening his eyes.

A hand clasped his fingers on the opposite side of Laxus. The fingers were smaller, softer. Wendy. “Freed, how are you feeling?” She asked, voice growing quieter as she spoke. Freed assumed Laxus made a gesture at her to speak softly.

“My head aches,” Freed tried to speak, but his voice came out sounding gruff and in desperate need of water. Apparently Wendy thought the same because moments after he spoke a cool glass was placed against his lips. He drank slowly, taking small sips to ease his throat. After he finished drinking, he felt cool fingers graze his temples, the thrum of healing magic coursing through his skull. After several minutes, the pain had subsided almost entirely, leaving only a dull ache in its wake. Freed slowly opened his eyes, one at a time against the bright lights of the infirmary. “Thank you,” he managed to get out, smiling slightly at the young healer.

Wendy beamed at Freed, “I’m so glad you’re alright,” she spoke excitedly. “It’s such a relief to see you awake, and it appears, besides the headache, that there's no lasting damage.”

Freed nodded in understanding, “I don’t feel any adverse effects from the magic.”

Laxus couldn’t help it, a low growl escaped his lips. “Idiot,” he spoke harshly, and Freed jolted at the tone, glancing at Laxus only to find a deep worry in his eyes to explain the reprimand. “No adverse effects, my ass. You were in a coma for over a month.” Laxus paused, trying to rein in his anger. “We weren’t sure if you were ever going to wake up,” he muttered, his gritting teeth the only indicator that he was still angry.

“A month?” Freed asked, eyes wide. “I was in a coma?” He looked to Wendy for confirmation.

“Yeah, we were really worried,” she replied, a sad smile on her face.

“You foolish child,” Porlyusica scolded from the doorway, startling Freed. Of course, both dragon slayers had sensed her coming, he thought with a hint of bitterness. “When Laxus and your team brought you in, you were barely alive. You had used up nearly all of your magical energy helping that girl. If they had taken much longer in reaching us, you would not be here.” She spoke harshly, muttering about "reckless mages" as she organized some medicine. 

Laxus gripped the side of the bed, knuckles white in anger. Porlyusica walked over, standing beside Freed. “We spent quite a bit of time keeping your body alive long enough for you to replenish your magical energy. If it had only been myself or Wendy, we may not have been able to accomplish that, you fool. You took an extreme risk in helping that girl.” 

She glared at Freed. “I don’t think there are any other adverse effects, but let Wendy or myself know if you begin experiencing anything unusual.” She let out a deep sigh. “Other than that, remain mostly inactive for the next week or two and allow your body time to recover after being in a coma for so long.” She patted his hand briefly. “I am glad you pulled through,” she gave a small, rare smile before leaving the infirmary. Wendy gave Freed a brief hug, following Porlyusica out.

Laxus couldn’t contain his anger any longer. “You idiot,” he barked at Freed. “What were you thinking, risking yourself like that?” He ground out, glaring at the smaller mage.

“I was morally obligated to help her, Laxus. Not to mention I was rule-bound by my own runes to do so. Regardless of how risky it was, I would do it again.” Freed glared back at Laxus defiantly, but guilt wormed in his gut knowing the dragon slayer was only worried about him. The glaring match lasted a couple of minutes before the door banged open once more, startling both men. Freed blushed, hands fiddling with the blanket. Laxus looked away, ashamed he let his anger get the best of him. Laxus knew he should only feel relief because his friend was safe and alive, but he couldn’t control his anger with Freed for being so reckless. A small part of Laxus knew it was mostly anger with himself, for not being able to help Freed.

Evergreen, Bixlow, and surprisingly Sari rushed into the infirmary, all quick to take turns hugging Freed. Freed blushed at the attention, but smiled at his comrades. “I’m glad to see you looking so well, Sari,” he spoke, eyeing the God Slayer as she came in for a hug as well. Freed eyed his comrades in shock as she slowly began crying into his chest. He gently returned the hug, rubbing the girl’s back, trying to coax out why she was crying.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know it would hurt you, I promise. I can’t believe you did that for me,” she spoke, sniffling slightly. “I don’t know how I can ever repay you.” She continued, hugging Freed as if her life depended on it. “I’m just so happy you’re awake."

“Nonsense,” Freed replied. “Regardless of the outcome, I would help you again if needed.” He pushed her back slightly, giving her a genuine smile. “There’s no need to repay me, because it was the right thing to do.” Sari gave Freed a watery smile as she released him, standing back up. Soon after, all four other occupants were settled into their respective seats around Freed’s bed.

“What have I missed?” Freed asked casually, trying to ease some of the tension he still felt radiating off Laxus.

“Laxus nearly killed that Knight guy,” Bixlow howled, laughing his ass off at tattling on Laxus. Laxus glared at Bix, arms crossed over his chest.

“I did not,” Laxus growled, “I just beat him up a bit.” He continued glaring at Bixlow, trying to ignore the reprimanding look he knew would be plastered all over Freed’s face. “Not that I didn’t want to,” he muttered. He chanced a glance at Freed and was surprised to see anger written on his face.

“Where is he now?” Freed asked seriously, expression stony.

“Rotting away in prison,” Ever piped up, a nervous smile on her face at the apparent tension. “Laxus tracked him down about a week afterward, when we heard that you,” her eyes teared up as she trailed off. “When we heard that you might not wake up.” She finished, glancing at Freed, worry creasing her brow. “Anyway,” she cleared her throat, trying to rein in her tears, “Laxus tracked the guy down, beat him to a pulp, and chucked his ass to the council. He has a life sentence for misusing magic, endangering a life, kidnapping, torture, the list goes on. He's being kept in complete solitude so he can't reiterate any of the magic,” she gripped Sari’s hand as she spoke, knowing it must bring up awful memories. Freed was surprised by the gesture and how close it seems they became in his month-long absence.

“That’s good. Does the council know the extent of the magic he used?” Freed questioned Laxus.

“No,” Laxus spoke gruffly, “they kinda took our word for it, but upon examining his house, found a lot of evidence against the guy, including books on forbidden magic. Of course, the only evidence of the actual spellwork used is still in your possession under strong rune magic.” Freed looked relieved to hear that.

“That’s good too,” Freed replied. “I’m going to destroy the book. No one should have this knowledge,” he said, sadness in his eyes as he glanced at Sari, who nodded.

“Anyway,” Freed spoke, slightly more upbeat, “what else has happened?” He glanced at all his comrades.

“Ooh, baby, you’ll never believe what Laxus told me,” Bixlow started, but was cut off abruptly by a bolt of lightning knocking him off his chair. Laxus’s low growl made Bixlow raise his hands in surrender, a smug smile still on his charred face.

“Bixlow, quit being an ass,” Ever scolded. She glanced at Freed, a sweet, obviously-lying-through-her-teeth smile on her face, “it was nothing important.” She made a flippant hand gesture, grinning.

“Uh, okay,” Freed replied, a bit unsure of what was going on.

“Ooh, how about I tell Freed about Ever’s date with Elfman?” Bixlow spoke loudly, a deep bellowing laugh following his question as he sat back up. He ducked to the side to avoid Ever’s luminous magical energy.

“It wasn’t a date,” Ever protested a bit too loudly, cheeks flaming red. “I was, uh, merely helping him purchase a gift for his sister.” She looked away from everyone, flinging her hair to the side in fake confidence.

“Uh-huh,” Bix pestered, “so he was going to buy some chocolate-covered strawberries and wine for his sister, huh?” He teased, edging over to the embarrassed mage, tongue lolling to the side. He began poking her in the sides, trying to get her to confess. His tikis swirled around Evergreen, chanting “K-I-S-S-I-N-G” and following their wielder as they all ducked from her irate magic.

“Bixlow, leave poor Ever alone. If she doesn’t want to open up about her date, she doesn’t have to,” Freed scolded the seith mage before patting Ever on the knee consolingly.

“Freed! It wasn’t-We weren’t on a date,” she stuttered.

“Any new developments with you Bix?” Freed asked the seith mage, taking pity on Evergreen and trying to change the subject.

“Oh, baby, since you’ve been all conked out, we’ve had to do so much more work on missions. It was really annoying at first, but then my babies and I learned a new technique,” Bix shouted excitedly, beaming proudly. “I’ll show you as soon as you’re allowed to leave this place.” He grinned at Freed, tongue hanging out.

Freed grinned back just as enthusiastically, “I can’t wait to witness it.”

“It's pretty remarkable,” Sari added, voice going higher as she bounced in her seat. “I’ve been training with your team, even though I’m not a Fairy Tail wizard. It’s fascinating seeing all the different types of magic.” Her eyes lit up as she began babbling about what she’s seen so far.

“I’m guessing you weren’t allowed out too much as a child,” Freed spoke softly as she began quieting down once more. “I’m glad you’re able to enjoy these experiences now,” he smiled at her. “I’m sure you’ve already discussed it with Master Makarov, but have you considered joining Fairy Tail?”

“Yeah, we’ve talked about it, but I think I want to go experience the world for myself for a little while. Of course, you guys are my first friends, so I’ll probably be around here a lot.” She laughed, the sound filled with so much happiness, Freed couldn’t help but laugh as well.

“Besides all that,” Bixlow spoke, “not much has happened. The whole guild was worried about you, of course. And we only went on a few missions to keep up with rent. It just felt wrong going without you,” he spoke seriously, the relief in his eyes apparent. It warmed Freed’s heart to know how much his goofy friend loved him. “And Laxus here has been by your side every single night hoping you’ll wake up,” he grinned at the dragon slayer. Laxus's cheeks warmed as he crossed his arms to cover his embarrassment. Freed chose not to comment on it, though it gave him butterflies to think about Laxus waiting with him every night.

“But we came to visit daily too.” Ever chimed in. “And several other guild members came to visit. Everyone’s very happy to hear you woke up. They’re waiting until you’re ready though. We figured you’d be exhausted.” Freed nodded, suddenly feeling the weight of exhaustion.

“I actually am very tired,” he chuckled, “despite the fact that I’ve apparently been sleeping for a month.”

Ever and Bix stood up, followed closely by Sari.

“We’ll let you get some rest then. We’ll come by again later.” Ever gave him a quick kiss on the forehead before leaving the infirmary. Bixlow and Sari both gave him a brief hug, following Ever out. Surprisingly, Laxus stayed seated. Freed looked at him, eyebrow raised.

“I gotta make sure you wake up again,” Laxus muttered, making Freed’s heart clench at the worry. Laxus looked away, a slight blush on his cheeks.

“Thank you, Laxus,” Freed whispered, reaching out to squeeze the lightning mage’s hand briefly before laying back on the bed. Laxus’ eyes snapped to Freed at the contact in surprise, eyes softening.

“If you need anything, I’ll be right here,” Laxus said before getting more comfortable in his chair. His movements were so casual, as if he’d done the same thing every night for a month. Freed smiled at his Thunder God, his eyes watering in happiness. After several minutes passed, Freed was sleeping soundly.


	9. Recovery

The next week passed in relative ease. Albeit, a rather boring ease for Freed, who was confined to his home for recovery. Luckily, the rune mage shared an apartment with Evergreen, Bixlow, and Laxus. Sari stopped by periodically to spend a night on the couch before heading off on another brief adventure. She seemed happy, doing odd jobs around the towns she visited to pay for her food. As far as Freed could tell, she enjoyed camping more than staying in an inn, so it cut down her expenses significantly. 

Freed offered to help her pay for anything she needed, but she told him she was doing well on her own for now. The Thunder Legion basically adopted her as a younger sister, and Freed was sure Ever and Bix would help her if need be as well. Even Laxus seemed to have warmed up to her slightly. It was nice seeing her bright smile, which contradicted her so much from when Freed first met her. Freed was currently lost in these thoughts as he watched Ever say goodbye to Sari. She was headed to another town, one on the coast since she dreamt of the ocean as a child. With a promise to write to them often, she was out the door.

“You know,” Ever began, pulling the book out of Freed’s grasp to get his attention. She carefully placed the bookmark in the text to save his page, setting it on the coffee table. She sat next to Freed on the couch. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something, but I haven’t had you all to myself this whole week,” she sighed dramatically. As if Freed could control who was constantly around him when he was stuck at home.

Freed lifted one eyebrow at her dramatics, a small smile pulling his lips. “Well, we’re alone now. Bix and Laxus won’t be back from the job until this evening. Though I’m guessing you stayed behind to chat with me?” He questioned, laughing as a slight blush crossed her cheeks. The apartment seemed quiet without Bixlow teasing her for her embarrassment. Freed took pity on his dear friend, “what did you want to talk about, Ever? Is it about Elfman?” He asked gently, hoping she was going to confide in him. When she began sputtering in embarrassment, Freed knew his assumption was incorrect.

“Freed!” She shrieked, “why would you think I wanted to talk about that big ol’ oaf?” Her voice grew higher toward the end as she tried to hide her blush behind her long hair.

“Ever, I apologize. I didn’t mean to jump to conclusions,” Freed was quick to apologize. He wanted Ever to confide in him, but he knew better than to force her. Ever sighed deeply at his earnesty.

“Look, I know I can trust you, Freed, but I’m not ready to talk about anything in regards to Elfman just yet.” Freed nodded, content with that response for now. “What I wanted to talk about was your feelings for Laxus,” she spoke quietly, even though she knew Laxus was nowhere around. Freed’s brows wrinkled in confusion.

“Why do you want to talk about that?” He questioned. “You already know how I feel about him. You know I love him.” Freed spoke, a blush rising to his cheeks despite the fact that he was unashamed in his feelings. “All I want is to be by his side. Always. I want his happiness above all else. You know that. We’ve talked about this at great lengths prior. I’m curious why you’re interested in this topic once more?” He asked her, speaking softly. He knew how he felt, and he knew how Laxus felt. No discussion was necessary.

“Oh, so you’re just going to ignore the fact that you told Laxus you love him right before you used that damn spell?” She questioned, eyes sharpening at Freed’s surprised expression.

“How do you know that? Did Laxus mention it?”

“No, hun, he didn’t bring it up. I have eyes, you know. I may not have heard the words, but I saw them. And I saw Laxus’ reaction to them. Despite your constant fawning over the him, and your belief in his silent rejection, that man had no idea you felt that way. You can’t deny that.” She jabbed a finger toward Freed in emphasis.

“Regardless of whether or not he knew prior, he knows now, and obviously does not feel similarly.” Freed glanced down, a deep ache clenching his heart. “He has not mentioned it since. Laxus is a straightforward person, he would have mentioned it if he felt similarly or was upset by my feelings. I believe there are three possibilities.” 

Freed glanced up at Evergreen, lecture mode distracting him from his grief, albeit momentarily. Ever rolled her eyes. “First, it’s possible he misunderstood and believes my proclamation to be purely familial. Second, it’s equally as possible that he does not feel the same, but is trying to spare me the embarrassment by drawing attention to it. He is trying to keep the status quo of how things were prior to my confession. Third, it is possible that he simply does not remember. Regardless of which scenario is the correct one, the logical conclusion would be to remain silent about my feelings. I want to be by Laxus’ side, despite how heartbreaking it may be at times, and I don’t want to do anything to risk that future.” Freed glanced at Ever, noting the sadness in her eyes. He reached out to squeeze her hand briefly.

“Freed, I know how much it hurts you though,” Ever exclaimed, wanting to help him through it. “I think you should talk to Laxus about it. Maybe he’s just embarrassed or doesn’t know how to bring it up.” Freed could see the hope filling her eyes, but he refrained from letting that fantasy play out and cloud his own judgment.

“I understand you’re trying to help, Ever, but please. Leave this be. He doesn’t feel the same. Laxus isn’t the type of person to tiptoe around a subject. Sometimes he can even be cruelly honest. So please, drop it.” Ever could tell that Freed was determined to leave his feelings be, and she knew it wasn’t her place to intervene beyond talking to Freed, so she sighed deeply in acceptance.

“I think you’re making a mistake, but I’ll let it go,” Ever sighed once more, slightly more dramatic than necessary, in Freed’s opinion, before standing up and heading to the kitchen to make them dinner. Freed watched her leave. Normally, they took turns making dinner, but since Freed was confined to bed rest, Ever took over for the week. Freed watched her bustle around the kitchen for a few moments before picking up his novel once more.

Nearly a half-hour passed before the door to their apartment banged open, Bixlow falling flat on his back in the entryway. Freed quickly rose, drawing his sword and scanning for the threat. When Laxus simply stepped over Bixlow and headed to the kitchen, Freed put his sword away. Bixlow began laughing uncontrollably on the ground, despite the fact that he had just been punched into a door and knocked to the ground. Laxus ignored him, a deep scowl set into his face.

“What’d you do this time, Bix?” Freed asked, walking over to help the goofy mage off the ground.

“Nothing,” Laxus growled, hovering over Ever’s shoulder as she dished out the food for everyone. He glared at the mage who was still rolling on the floor, ignoring Freed’s proffered hand. “Don’t even,” he threatened the seith mage, making Bix laugh more, his tikis floating nearby, bobbing in amusement. Freed left the seith mage in lew of grabbing a plate of food himself. Laxus grabbed his plate from Evergreen with a gruff “thank you” before stomping over to the armchair in their living room, turning on the lacrimavision.

Freed sighed, knowing Laxus would probably be in a foul mood for the rest of the evening thanks to Bixlow. He grabbed his plate from Evergreen with a more gracious thanks than Laxus. He walked into the living room, seating himself on the spot of the couch he was reading in earlier. He heard Ever dish out two more plates, leaving one on the counter and heading over to the couch as well. After a few moments, Bixlow’s laughter died down to the point where he could stand. He grabbed his meal and walked to the living room, a few stray chuckles following him. Freed could feel the tension radiating off Laxus. He wondered what Bixlow could have done to rile the dragon slayer up so much.

“So Sari’s off to see the ocean,” Ever spoke stiffly, trying to fill the awkwardness hanging in the air. “Apparently she’s wanted to see it since she was a child and read a story about it.” Ever continued babbling, trying to fill the near suffocating silence. Laxus finished eating and stood abruptly, quickly rinsing his plate and storming off to his bedroom.

As soon as he heard the door close, Freed hissed at Bixlow, “what the hell did you say to him, Bix?” Frustration with his friend’s antics seeping into his voice.

“Nothing!” Bix shouted, before a quick rude gesture from Ever caused him to lower his voice. “He’s overreacting,” he muttered.

“What exactly happened?” Ever questioned, part of her worried about her stormy friend, but another part of her simply wanted to hear some good gossip.

“I can’t say too much. As much as I might tease him about it, I won’t betray his trust.” Bixlow responded seriously. Despite his goofy exterior, he was a good friend. “He’s just been having a hard time talking to someone lately. I was teasing him and he got angry. That’s all.” Bix finished talking, but gave a pointed look to Ever, making Freed feel like he was the only one Laxus was keeping secrets from. It made his heart ache in sadness thinking that Laxus didn’t trust him enough to talk to him about this person. Ever quickly noticed the gloomy look on Freed’s face and simply patted his leg.

“He’ll be alright,” she tried to console the rune mage.

“I wish he trusted me enough to confide in me,” Freed spoke softly, the sadness in his heart creeping into his tone.

“He does, hun!” Ever was quick to counter. “You’ve just had a lot going on lately,” she finished sounding slightly unsure of her answer. Freed instantly knew she was lying, but chose not to comment on it.

“I’m going to go to bed,” Freed muttered. “Goodnight, you two,” he smiled sadly, intent on cleaning his own plate, but Ever stopped him. He gave her a grateful smile, heading off to his room.

Freed stayed awake for a couple hours more, constantly switching between reading and thinking about Laxus in his anxiousness. He couldn’t help but wonder who Laxus was struggling to talk to lately. Master Makarov, perhaps. They’ve always had a bit of a tumultuous relationship. Though Freed was fairly certain they had been on better terms lately. It could be a conflict based on a mission, of course. Though Laxus tended to be more straightforward, and Freed was sure that Laxus would have addressed any issues with his grandfather directly and quickly. Especially after all the trouble they had caused in the past. He was sure Laxus would be quick to set anything right with his grandfather.

Or maybe Laxus had developed feelings for a woman and wasn’t quite confident in himself yet. Freed’s heart clenched painfully and a nauseous anxiety swirled in his stomach at the thought of Laxus in love with someone. Someone who wasn’t himself. It seemed likely though. Considering Laxus was sharing this secret with both Ever and Bix, but not himself was almost proof enough. Freed had just professed his love for Laxus, so of course the lightning mage wouldn’t want to hurt Freed more by gushing about another. That would be incredibly cruel, and he knew Laxus still cared deeply about his friendship.

Tears welled up in Freed’s eyes as he thought of Laxus with someone else. He knew this day would come, the day where Laxus entered into a relationship with someone other than Freed. Freed thought he had prepared himself for the grief he knew he would experience when he watched Laxus fall in love, but he was wrong, he hadn’t been prepared for the inexplicably strong pain in his chest. Freed wept as he pictured his future, standing beside Laxus, always, while he smiled lovingly at another. After several minutes passed of Freed sobbing out his heartache, he slowly drifted to sleep, tears drying to his cheeks.


	10. Out on the Town

Freed woke the next morning feeling more emotionally drained than he had the night before. He sighed deeply, knowing he had to, at least, make himself look presentable. He quickly showered and changed into a fresh set of clothes and headed down to the kitchen. 

To his surprise, Laxus was the only one awake, and he was already preparing breakfast. Freed was typically the only occupant of the house to make breakfast, since he was always the earliest to rise. However, this past week the other three had been taking turns getting up early to cook breakfast. It made Freed happy to think about how much they cared for him and were trying to help him recover. As much as he wasn’t sure he could face Laxus this morning, he knew the dragon slayer had already heard him leave his room and would grow concerned if he retreated back to it so soon. Freed let out a small sigh, walking over to Laxus.

“Good morning, Laxus,” Freed said politely, grabbing a drinking glass from the cupboard and pouring himself some water. Laxus grunted in response, focused primarily on cooking. If he sensed anything off about Freed, he didn’t comment. Nor did he bring up the events of last night. Freed sighed once more, retreating to the living room, intent on trying to distract himself with his new book.

Freed heard the sounds of Laxus shuffling around the kitchen, the occasional banging resounding through the quiet living room. After several minutes of reading, “Fuck,” Laxus exclaimed, startling Freed out of his thoughts.

“Are you alright?” Freed asked instantly, about to stand up and check on the mage.

“Fuck. Yeah, I’m good,” Laxus shouted back, which was accompanied by more banging.

“Okay,” Freed replied, heart clenching once more at the sound of Laxus’s voice. Freed slowly tried to focus on his book once more, pushing his feelings to the back of his mind. After several more minutes, Laxus finally shuffled into the living room carrying two plates.

“You made my french toast recipe?” Freed asked in wonder. It was a simple dish, but with his own special spice blend. Everyone who tried it was instantly hooked, but nobody else had ever tried making it before.

“Sure. It’s your favorite, isn’t it?” Laxus asked casually, glancing down at his own plate, diving into the food so Freed wouldn’t see his slightly reddened cheeks.

Freed felt his cheeks warm at the caring gesture, a large smile gracing his face. “Thank you,” he said enthusiastically. He grinned at the lightning mage, this time noticing the slight pink on the other’s cheeks as they locked eyes.

“It’s no big deal,” Laxus muttered, embarrassed, before turning back to his food.

Freed began eating, a small smile still on his face. Despite the heartache, he was still feeling, he knew he would always have Laxus by his side. He knew that this caring man would always be his friend. Freed prattled on about the book he was currently reading, happily ignoring the squirming in his gut in favor of spending time with Laxus. Laxus smiled briefly at Freed’s happiness and enthusiasm. He listened intently, asking questions here and there.

The morning passed pleasantly, Bix and Ever soon joined the two, happy to see both in a better mood than the night before. Bix and Ever grinned madly at each other when they discovered that Laxus made Freed his favorite breakfast. Bixlow winked at Freed when Laxus wasn’t looking, causing the rune mage to blush profusely, coughing on his water. Bixlow laughed exuberantly, tongue lolling as his tikis swirled around him. Freed quickly rose, clearing everyone’s plates, intent on washing them. Bixlow was quick to follow him, taking the plates from him with a grin and a sly, “Laxus has never cooked anyone else’s favorite food.”

Freed quickly retreated from his teasing friend, bumping into Ever as she was headed to the kitchen. “You okay?” She asked, an amused smile on her face.

“Uh, yeah,” Freed laughed off his embarrassment. “You know," he said, changing subjects, "I was thinking of heading out of the house today. Stretching my legs. Taking a walk.” He continued blabbering, fairly flustered by what Bix had said.

“I think that’s a great idea!” Ever shouted a bit more enthusiastically than Freed thought was necessary. “I think someone should accompany you though, just in case” She smiled sweetly at Freed and he knew instantly what was about to happen. He barely managed to suppress an exasperated huff. “But Bix and I have plans to train with a few people from the guild today, so we can’t come with. Drat.” She pouted slightly for effect making Freed roll his eyes at her dramatics. “Hey Laxus, darling,” she called, eyes practically glowing in amusement. Laxus glanced over at the pair, one eyebrow raised in question. “Would you be a dear and accompany our darling Freed on a walkabout town today? I don’t think he should travel alone just yet, but Bix and I are busy.” She smiled sweetly at Laxus.

“Sure, why not?” Laxus asked no one in particular, eyes returning to the lacrimavision.

“Perfect!” Ever clapped her hands briefly, grinning like the matchmaking fool Freed knew her to be. He rolled his eyes, but gave her a smile regardless, especially after having a wonderful morning with Laxus. “Bix, you ready to go?” She asked, walking around the corner into the kitchen. Freed retreated to his room to prepare for his walk with Laxus, ignoring the hushed voices in the kitchen as he left. He tied his sword around his waist as he got ready, on instinct, despite knowing he shouldn’t need it.

As Freed entered the living room, he saw that Bix and Ever had already left, and Laxus was sitting casually on the couch, watching the lacrimavision still.

“You ready to go?” Laxus asked, glancing at Freed who nodded in reply. Laxus stood, shutting off the lacrimavision. “Let’s go then,” he said as he grabbed his coat by the door.

“Where do you wanna go first?” Laxus asked, pulling on his jacket. Freed fell into step beside Laxus, heading toward his favorite store.

“I would like to go to the book shop, if that’s alright with you?” Freed asked. Laxus enjoyed a good book every now and then, but mostly preferred watching the lacrimavision, and definitely didn’t enjoy books as much as Freed.

“Whatever you want,” Laxus shrugged. “So long as we can check out the new weapons after,” he grinned at the rune mage.

Freed chuckled, already intending to head there afterward. “Of course. I believe they have a new set of throwing knives available.” Laxus used throwing knives during training to help hone his aim, not to mention, having multiple metal targets helped his lightning practice as well. Laxus’ eyes lit up briefly at getting new knives. Freed laughed, Laxus looked like a child being promised a new toy. Laxus dutifully followed Freed around the book shop, helping Freed decide between several novels he was interested in. Freed ended up purchasing three at Laxus’ insistence. Freed talked excitedly about his new books the entire walk to the weapon shop, with Laxus nodding along, smiling at the rune mage in amusement.

Upon arriving at the weapon shop, it was Freed’s turn to follow Laxus around and give his opinion. Freed was less interested in the weapons available, because he felt his current sword was superior to most of the available products. Laxus, however, was excited to purchase new weapons, having lost several of his cache of throwing knives during his last training session. 

Freed explained the different elements to consider in regard to Laxus’ lightning magic, alongside evaluating the quality of each knife presented. Freed routinely accompanied Laxus when the dragon slayer was purchasing new weapons, because Freed knew how to analyze Laxus’ needs and find the perfect weapon way better than Laxus could himself. Laxus listened intently as Freed spoke about the current selection before deciding on the smaller collection.

After paying the shop owner, both men strode outside. “Now where to?” Laxus asked, gazing at his companion.

“I feel a bit hungry after all the walking. Would you like to get lunch at the cafe?” Freed asked, pointing across the street to a cozy cafe with only a handful of customers.

“Sure,” Laxus shrugged, crossing the street. Freed followed behind him, a large grin on his face. Despite the persistent ache in his chest, Freed enjoyed spending so much time with his Thunder God. “I’ll pay,” Laxus said gruffly, glancing at the rune mage’s shocked face before rolling his eyes. “Come on, Freed, it’s my treat.” He spoke assuredly, striding into the cafe. Freed hastily followed, heart warming at the kind gesture.

After both men ordered their food, they sat at a secluded table on the far side of the large window. Freed glanced at the street outside, all the people bustling about, before turning his eyes to Laxus, only to see the lightning mage staring at him. Both men felt their cheeks begin to heat up. Freed glanced back out the window, scanning the crowd for a distraction, but finding none.

“Laxus,” Freed began slowly, unsure if he truly wanted to breach the subject or not. “You trust me, right?” He asked, voice soft as he looked Laxus in the eye.

“Hell yeah, I do, Freed. I trust you more than anyone,” Laxus exclaimed, confusion wrinkling his brows. “Why would you ask that?”

“I admit- I felt as if you were confiding in both Evergreen and Bixlow, but not myself. I questioned whether you believed me to be a good confidant or not,” Freed replied honestly, knowing he didn’t want to hear Laxus confess that he loved another, but he had to make it clear to Laxus that he was trustworthy. Laxus growled in frustration, surprising Freed, before glancing onto the streets briefly.

“I trust you, Freed. You have to know that. It’s just-” Laxus cut off, voice pained, face scrunched in frustration. “I’m just not ready to talk about this. I don’t understand it,” he admitted. Freed instantly felt sympathetic to his Laxus’s pain and frustration, reaching out to squeeze the dragon slayers' hand. Laxus’s eyes fell to Freed’s hand covering his own, staring at it for a few moments, deep in thought, before suddenly looking up at Freed. “Fuck, Freed. I trust you.” He said earnestly, looking intently into his eyes. Freed sucked in a breath at Laxus’s intensity, nodding his head shakily.

“Okay,” Freed sighed, pulling his hand back. “I just want you to know that you can talk to me about anything, regardless of how painful the topic might be,” Freed smiled softly at Laxus. He would do his best to remain by Laxus’s side, always. Laxus looked momentarily confused by Freed’s statement, but was interrupted by the waitress bringing their food.

The young girl looked a bit wary of Laxus, but smiled prettily at Freed, briefly touching his shoulder as she set the plate down. “Let me know if you need anything else, cutie,” she spoke to Freed, voice sweet as honey. Freed blushed at the nickname, stuttering out a thank you, unused to young girls flirting with him. A low growl emanated from across the table. Both the waitress and Freed glanced at Laxus in shock as the dragon slayer stared at his food with a stony expression.

“Uh, is the food okay, Laxus?” Freed asked cautiously.

“It’s fine,” he replied, voice laced with controlled anger. He glared at the waitress, “I think we’re good now.” The waitress took the hint, rushing into the back room of the cafe.

“Are you sure the food is adequate?” Freed questioned again, brows crinkling.

“Yeah,” Laxus grunted before digging into his meal. Freed shook off the strangeness of the situation in favor of his own food. They ate in companionable silence, which often happened when it was just the two of them. Although Freed enjoyed talking to Laxus, he enjoyed just quietly sitting with him just as much. It was peaceful.

“Anywhere else you wanna go?” Laxus asked as they both finished their meals. Freed wiped his face delicately with a napkin.

“I thought maybe we could stop by the guild? Perhaps walk through the park on the way? If it’s not too much to ask,” Freed finished hurriedly, not wanting to impose on Laxus’s time.

“Nah, I wanted to stop by anyway.” Laxus rose, quickly followed by Freed. They left money on the table, leaving the cafe and heading toward the park.


	11. Guildhall Greetings

Freed usually enjoyed walking through the park on his way to the guild, watching people playing with their kids or dogs. However, considering the park was filled with blooming flowers due to the spring weather, walking beside Laxus felt almost romantic, and Freed instantly felt guilty for thinking such thoughts. The colors of the flowers they walked past highlighted the barely noticeable blush on Laxus’s cheeks and Freed thought the color made the man even more attractive. Freed blushed deeply, turning his face away from the dragon slayer in a manner which, to Laxus, only appeared as if Freed were watching the children run by.

One of the little girls about to run past stopped suddenly, running back the other direction. Freed watched the girl pick a beautiful blue flower before turning and racing toward Freed, a bright smile on her face.

“This flower is perfect for you,” she giggled, extending the flower toward Freed. He blushed slightly, but smiled at the child. He knelt down beside her, taking the proffered flower and twining it into his hair, just below the left lightning bolt, tucked behind his ear.

“Thank you, it’s lovely,” he said politely as the girl giggled once more and ran off, already picking flowers for other park visitors. Freed stood up, glancing at Laxus with a slight pink on his cheeks. Freed was surprised to find Laxus staring at him, a blush accompanying his cheeks as well. Freed subconsciously tucked a strand of hair behind his right ear.

“That color suits you,” Laxus spoke softly, reaching out to brush the flower, fingers grazing over Freed’s silky hair in the process. Freed’s eyes widened. Laxus let his fingers fall, a content smile on his face as he eyed the blushing rune mage.

“Thank you, Laxus,” Freed replied, embarrassed by the attention. Laxus turned abruptly and continued to the guildhall, Freed falling into step beside him.

“Do you do that on purpose?” Laxus suddenly asked, glancing at Freed and gesturing wildly to the lightning bolts on Freed’s head. Freed blushed once more, ducking his head, fingers subconsciously reaching up to twirl one of the lightning bolts. Laxus smirked, watching him.

“No I-They began appearing naturally when I fe- a short time after I met you,” Freed stuttered, knowing this could lead the conversation into dangerous territory. Freed had a theory that the lightning bolts were entwined with his magic. He believed they appeared as a physical manifestation of his devotion to the lightning mage.

“Huh,” Laxus muttered, deep in thought. “I like 'em,” he chuckled, flicking one of the little lightning bolts, making Freed sputter in embarrassment. Laxus continued laughing, walking past Freed who stopped, trying to compose himself and locate his recently lost dignity.

“Come on, Freed,” Laxus looked over his shoulder at the rune mage, “I bet Asuka will love that flower,” Laxus spoke with a usually hidden tenderness. Freed nodded briefly, eyes lighting up at the thought of gifting the young girl with the flower. “Though I doubt it’ll look as nice,” Laxus muttered, so low Freed was sure he had misheard the dragon slayer. 

Freed shook himself, falling into step with Laxus once more. Freed chattered on about how Asuka had given him a beautiful bouquet of mismatched, slightly withering flowers, on his birthday, and how she was so proud of herself for picking them all. After only a few more moments, the guildhall doors came into view.

“So what business did you have in the guild today?” Freed asked Laxus casually. By the tension in Laxus’s shoulders after he asked though, he guessed it was not a good thing.

“Nothing,” Laxus muttered, “just gotta talk to someone.” Freed was instantly pulled back into his conversation with Bix and Ever, and the accompanying pain in his heart was a reminder that Laxus might be in love with someone. Freed was suddenly anxious about walking into the guildhall, not wanting to find out who Laxus's love might be. He knew, however hard he tried not to, that he would be constantly looking for hints. With a building trepidation, Freed followed Laxus toward the guild doors, taking a deep, steadying breath before passing through them as Laxus held the door for him. Upon entering the guild, he was instantly surrounded by the happy faces of his guild members.

“Freed! I’m glad you’re feeling better,” Wendy shouted over the crowd, a beaming smile plastered to her face. She waved briefly, remaining at her table with the exceeds.

“No kidding, glad you’re back, man,” Natsu shouted, thumping Freed on the back. “Laxus has barely been around with you being hurt and all,” Natsu continued before pushing Laxus a bit, “but now that you’re all healed… wanna fight?” He aimed his question at Laxus, trying to rile up the lightning mage. Laxus merely brushed him off in favor of heading to the bar to order a drink from Mira. Natsu pouted briefly, trying to earn sympathy from Lucy, who was standing beside him, with no such luck. Freed’s stomach churned as he watched Laxus interact with Mira, looking for any signs of something more than friendship.

“Seriously, Freed, everyone was really worried. We’re glad you’re up and walking around again,” Lucy smiled at him, drawing back Freed’s attention. Upon receiving no sympathy from Lucy, Natsu began picking a fight with Gray, who was all too willing to take on the fire mage. As the two men started brawling a short distance away, Freed stepped over to the side to avoid being brought into it.

“Thank you,” Freed responded, “the fresh air feels nice after being stuck in our house all week,” he chuckled. Small arms wrapped around his waist from behind, startling the rune mage.

“Freed,” Levy squealed from behind him, squeezing his midsection. “I’m so happy to see you,” Levy continued, releasing the rune mage in favor of stepping around to face him. “I’ve missed my study partner,” she laughed.

“Levy,” Freed smiled warmly at the solid script mage, “how have you been lately?” He asked. Besides the Thunder Legion and Laxus, Freed was closer to Levy than most other guild members. Their magic was highly compatible, making practicing and analyzing their spellwork together helpful. They often bounced ideas off one another, but Freed enjoyed Levy’s company outside of studying magic as well.

“I’ve been great. I’ve missed your company, of course, so I’m glad you’re feeling better,” she smiled at him. “I’ve been spending more time with Gajeel and Lucy since you’ve been injured,” she glanced at Lucy as she spoke, eyes lighting up.

“We’ve come up with some great ideas that we’d love to try with you when you’re feeling up to it,” Lucy glanced at Freed. Levy was practically bouncing in excitement.

“I would be honored,” Freed smiled at both women.

Gajeel strode over to the group, slinging an arm around Levy’s shoulders, causing the solid script mage to blush while Lucy just giggled. “Feelin’ better?” He asked Freed.

“Yes, quite. It’s nice to be able to visit the guild again,” he smiled softly.

Gajeel grunted, “good to hear." He shifted his gaze from Freed to Levy. “Hey shrimp, ready to go on the mission? Gihi,” he chuckled as Levy’s cheeks darkened. Levy pushed his arm off her shoulders, glaring at the dragon slayer. Gajeel just laughed more making Levy huff and turn back toward Freed.

“Bye Freed, we have a train to catch,” she stuck her tongue out at Gajeel who’s face went white at the thought of his future motion sickness.

Freed chuckled at their antics, hugging Levy goodbye briefly. Freed wished the pair good luck, turning back to Lucy.

“Are you going on any missions soon?” He asked her politely.

“We’re supposed to, but if those two don’t stop fighting, we may not have the chance,” she rolled her eyes as she watched the pair wrestling behind Freed. Freed glanced over his shoulder, chuckling at the two boys.

“They really enjoy fighting each other,” he spoke softly, watching as Natsu shot a fireball at Gray, who barely dodged it before retaliating with an ice sword.

“Boys,” Lucy huffed. “I’d better go get Erza,” she sighed. “They never listen to me, but they always listen to her. Besides, I think she wanted to get going soon anyway.” Lucy bid Freed farewell, climbing the stairs. Freed assumed Erza was talking with Master Makarov. 

Freed glanced at the bar. Laxus was sitting by himself, watching the fight, while Mira was in the back, probably preparing food for someone. Freed took one step toward the bar, intent on joining Laxus, before he felt soft fingers grab his arm, pulling him around to face Juvia.

“Hello Freed, Juvia is so happy to see you healthy again,” she smiled softly at the rune mage, releasing his arm.

“Ah, Juvia, it’s nice to see you,” Freed responded, smiling warmly at the water mage. He leaned in to give her a brief hug. He’d spoken to Juvia on several occasions as she opened up about her feelings for Gray. Freed had felt as if they were in similar boats, loving someone so much without the returned feelings, so he had opened up about Laxus with her. “How have you been lately?”

"Juvia is happy. Gray, my love, has agreed to try sparring with me every so often. He says I'm over-exuberant in my love, but we make a good team," she beamed at Freed. She was making progress in her relationship with Gray, it seemed. Freed was happy for his friend, smiling at her.

"That's wonderful to hear, Juv-" Feed was cut off as he felt a huge weight collide with his back, knocking the wind out of him and sending him to his knees.

"Freed," Juvia shouted, reaching out to support the rune mage. Freed glanced back at a wide-eyed Natsu, staring at Freed, Gray on the floor beside him. Gray began sputtering out an apology, eyes wide in shock.


	12. Calming Laxus

"I'm fi-" Freed cut off as a thick crackling energy filled the room. Freed glanced toward the bar, shocked to see Laxus stomping over to the group, lightning pooling around his fists. "Laxus?" Freed questioned, surprised by the fury radiating off the lightning mage. Laxus gripped Natsu by the front of his vest, lifting him into the air, his lightning burning Natsu's skin where his fists made contact.

"What the fuck?" Natsu asked, squirming in Laxus's grip, brows drawn in anger.

"You fucking idiot," Laxus bellowed. He pushed Natsu against a wall. "You could have hurt Freed," he growled. Natsu's eyebrows shot up in surprise, before a look of deep understanding crossed his features.

"Wait, you lo-" Natsu spoke, curiosity getting the best of him. He was cut off as Laxus threw him backward, stray lightning following Natsu until he crashed into a pillar.

"Shut it," Laxus growled at the fire mage. Everyone watched the exchange in shock, not used to Laxus losing his temper anymore. "And you," Laxus turned to Gray, eyes burning in anger. "What the fuck were you thinking? Freed just got out of a coma." Laxus bellowed, striding closer to Gray, pointing an accusing finger at the ice mage, about to grab him too.

"I didn't do it on purpose," Gray sputtered in surprise at the irate dragon slayer.

"Laxus," Freed shouted, stepping in front of the dragon slayer. He reached out, gripping Laxus' arm, staring intently into his angry face. "I'm fine. It was just a surprise, that's all." Laxus growled, staring at Gray still.

"It was reckless," Laxus yelled to Gray, listening as Natsu stood up and was striding back over.

"It was an accident," Freed responded, pulling on Laxus's arm to get his full attention. Once Laxus was looking at him, he continued, "and I'm fine." Freed watched Laxus struggle to rein in his emotions. He gave Laxus a soft smile to emphasize his point. Laxus closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to control his anger. The crackling energy in the air slowly died down.

Natsu joined the group again, slowly walking toward Gray to help him to his feet.

"We're really sorry," Natsu said cheerily once Laxus had calmed down. "We didn't mean to knock Freed over." He smiled at the still slightly irate lightning mage. Laxus's jaw twitched as he tried not to lose his temper again. Freed subconsciously rubbed his arm to help calm him.

"Yeah, Freed, we're really sorry," Gray was quick to add on.

"That's quite alright, no harm done, right Laxus?" Freed asked, glancing at the dragon slayer. Laxus grunted in response, crossing his arms across his chest. Freed smiled at both Natsu and Gray as he nudged Laxus with his elbow, motioning to the two mages with his head. Laxus sighed dramatically, clenching his teeth.

"I'm sorry for overreacting," Laxus managed to get out between clenched teeth, earning him a beaming smile from Freed.

"No worries," Natsu laughed, "besides, Laxus, I had no idea how you fel-," Natsu was cut off as he felt a bolt of lightning hit his stomach, knocking the breath out of him.

"Shut it," Laxus growled, glaring at Natsu as his jaw twitched once more, cheeks reddening. Freed eyed the exchange in confusion.

"Sorry," Natsu coughed, grinning smugly at the lightning mage. "Come on, Gray, let's take the fight outside," he chuckled, punching Gray in the arm. Gray laughed, following the fire mage as they ran out the guild door.

"I'd better go make sure they don't destroy the town next," Juvia said awkwardly, rushing after both boys.

"What was Natsu going to say?" Freed asked, eyeing Laxus curiously.

"Nothin'." Laxus sighed, "come on. Let's get a drink," he said, striding toward the bar. Freed stared at Laxus in disappointment, once again feeling left out, before slowly walking to the bar.

“Hey Mira,” Freed smiled politely at her, “could I have some mint tea, please?” He asked, seating himself beside Laxus.

Once Freed was seated, young Asuka ran up to him, giving him a hug. "Hi, Freed," she gave him a toothy grin. "I'm happy you're okay." She glanced at his face, sucking in a breath in excitement, whistling from a missing tooth. "Oh! That's so pretty!" She yelled, not knowing how to control the volume of her voice yet. Freed chuckled, pulling the flower out of his hair and handing it to her. "Did Laxus give it to you?" She asked innocently, big eyes shining. Freed glanced at Laxus as the lightning mage began coughing on his drink, cheeks flaming red. Freed felt his cheeks warm as well. Laxus slowly gained composure of himself, taking a big swing of his beer to soothe his throat, ducking his face behind the mug.

"No," Freed blushed, clearing his throat. "I picked it for you, actually," he lied. He took the flower back, gently weaving it in her hair, tucked behind her ear. She giggled, thanking Freed quickly with a hug before excitedly running off to show her parents. Freed chuckled at the young girl. Shortly after, Mira walked over with Freed's tea.

"Glad you're feeling better," Mira smiled warmly at the rune mage before heading back to the kitchen.

"Funny, I thought Ever and Bix were supposed to be training with some guild members, but it seems like everyone but those two are here," Freed smirked at Laxus. "I wonder what they're up to," Freed pondered aloud.

Laxus grunted in response. "Huh, speak of the devil," he muttered, glancing behind him. Freed followed his line of sight, eyeing the guild doors as they sprung open, revealing Ever pinning Bix in a headlock. Freed laughed at the sight, wondering what Bix had done this time.

Ever's eyes lit up at seeing Freed sitting at the bar with Laxus. She let go of Bix, who fell face-first to the floor by her suddenness, in favor of rushing over to Freed.

"Freed," Ever gave him a tight hug. "I didn't know you were stopping by the guild," she exclaimed, pulling back.

"Hey Freed-bean," Bix laughed, slapping his shoulder lightly. "How ya feeling?" He grinned at the rune mage, tongue hanging out. His tikis swirled around them causing Laxus to swat at the mischievous souls. Freed pushed a tiki away as it began burrowing into his jacket.

"I'm well," Freed laughed, happy to see his friends. "How did the training go?" He smirked at Ever, knowing they probably did very little training and merely wanted to give Freed time with Laxus.

"Oh great," she said, one hand on her hip, the other swirling in exaggeration. "We were just out for a late lunch though. You know, really hungry after working up such a sweat." Bixlow laughed at that. Freed squinted at Ever, noticing her makeup was as pristine as ever. He was sure she hadn't worked up a bead of sweat all day. He rolled his eyes at her lies, but chose not to comment on it. He had a wonderful day with Laxus, after all.

"Anyway, Freed, come with me and help me pick out the next job." Ever smiled at Freed, obviously wanting to get Freed alone.

Laxus growled, "Freed can't go on a job yet, Ever." He glared at her, but she waved her hand dismissively.

"Duh," she rolled her eyes. "I just want help picking the mission for next week," she laughed. Laxus just rolled his eyes, going back to drinking his beer and shoving Bix's tikis away. Ever grabbed Freed's hand, pulling him up the stairs.

"Ever, slow down," Freed complained, tripping on one of the stairs. Ever slowed her pace slightly, dragging the rune mage to the job request board.

"Sorry, I just wanted to ask you how your date went," she whispered, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Freed rolled his eyes, huffing.

"It wasn't a date, Ever," Freed spoke softly, hyper-aware of Laxus' dragon hearing. Though, living with a dragon slayer, Freed and Ever learned quickly at which distances Laxus could still hear whispers. Although he logically knew Laxus was unable to hear them currently, he still felt an anxiousness cut through his gut with every word. He lowered his voice even further. "We've already discussed this." Freed scrunched his eyebrows, rubbing a hand over his face in grief.

Ever sighed, pointing a few jobs out to Freed. "I know, but I thought maybe things could have changed while you were out together." She looked over at Freed with empathy.

"No, we didn't discuss it. And I believe we never will. Please, Ever, just drop it?" He begged, heart aching.

Ever squeezed his hand briefly, "sure, hun." She sighed, pulling a couple jobs off the board and leading Freed silently to a table by the railing to examine the requests. They sat together, looking through the potential jobs.

"What're ya talkin' about, baby?" Freed jumped at Bixlow's voice. Ever looked startled, glancing subtly over the railing. Freed shrugged his shoulders, returning his focus to the jobs. Ever bit her lip, her foot tapping against the table loudly. Freed raised an eyebrow at her.

"Bix," Freed's eyes widened as he heard Laxus hiss the name. "Shut it. I said I don't want to talk about it. Not with you, and definitely not with him. So drop it." Laxus sounded irritated. Freed resisted the urge to glance over the railing. Ever looked frozen to her spot, eyes widening. She kicked the table, fidgeting.


	13. Eavesdropping

Freed quirked an eyebrow at Ever as she kicked the table again, coughing loudly. Freed got the feeling she knew exactly where the conversation was headed. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear it. He bit his lip, considering leaving the table. Bix's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Come on, baby!" Bix exclaimed loudly, followed closely by a loud smacking noise. Freed assumed Laxus punched Bix. Part of Freed felt like he should leave, knowing he wasn't supposed to be in this conversation. But another part of him was frozen to the spot, wondering if they were talking about Laxus's mystery person. "It's simple," Bix lowered his voice in response to the smack. "You know it is. Just go talk to him."

"It's not simple," Laxus shouted, his annoyance with Bix quickly forgotten. "Freed fucking loves me, that's not simple," Laxus hissed, voice lower. He sounded slightly panicked and angry. Freed felt like a bucket of ice water was just dumped over his head. Chills spread across his arms as he stared at Ever in horror. His heart clenched painfully at the thought of actually hearing Laxus's rejection. "It's too much-" Freed didn't hear the rest. He sprang up, striding quickly back to the job board, tears stinging his eyes.

"Freed?" Ever asked softly, following closely behind, gently placing her hand on Freed's back.

"I didn't want to hear him say it," he whispered, subtly trying to wipe the tears from his eyes before Ever noticed. "That he doesn't love me back," his voice broke. Ever pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Hun, you don't know that he would," Ever said. Her heart was breaking on Freed's behalf as she squeezed him tighter. Freed sniffled into her shoulder, clutching onto her in a near-death grip.

"Please, don't," Freed cried. "don't give me hope," his voice broke again. After a moment, Freed pulled away, wiping his eyes. "Give me a moment to compose myself." Ever gave him a sad smile, running her thumbs across his face and wiping the tears away. She nodded, squeezing his arm briefly then heading down the stairs.

Freed took several deep breaths, trying to steady himself. He wiped his eyes one last time, walking over to grab the job requests they left on the table. He clipped them back to the board. Freed felt a pinch in his chest at what Laxus said. Clearly, he remembered Freed's confession. Laxus sounded slightly panicked at the thought of Freed loving him. He'd begun saying that Freed's love was too much even. Freed pushed his raw emotions down, trying to think logically about the situation.

If Freed loving him was too much for Laxus to handle at the moment, and Freed was too emotionally raw at the moment to trust his actions, Freed considered leaving. Perhaps it would be better to take a solo, easy job in the meantime. That would allow Freed time to get over his broken heart. And it would allow Laxus time to come to terms with Freed's love. Freed knew they both valued their friendship more than anything, so perhaps time would allow them to figure out a way to retain balance. Besides, it was clearly causing Laxus a lot of internal conflict. Freed nodded to himself in decision, these thoughts swirling through his mind. He should leave. For a little while. His heart clenched at the idea of being away from Laxus and his friends for so long, but knew he had to do this. For both of their sakes.

Freed sighed, heart breaking as he viewed the jobs once more. After several minutes, he found the perfect job for both himself and his team. There was a solo job request for someone to organize a library. It was supposed to last a week, offer a place to stay, and was good pay. Freed thought it would be the best place to contemplate things too. There was also another, group job, that was relatively easy and didn't start for a week, so it was perfect. Freed tucked the solo job in his pocket and headed down the stairs, the group job clutched in his hand.

Freed walked over to the bar, sitting beside his teammates once more. He waved Mira over, giving her the group job request. "It's a good job, easy, and it gives me a week to fully recover," Freed said. She signed it off for his team after they nodded their approval, before heading into the back again. Ever looked at him with empathy, nodding at whatever Bix had said.

"I forgot to order food," Freed muttered. "'I'm gonna go ask Mira for dinner, I'll be right back," Freed told Laxus who was sitting beside him. Bix and Ever were on Laxus's other side, but seemed to have heard him as all three requested he order them food too. "Sure," Freed replied, walking into the kitchens.

Freed entered the kitchen, walking over to Mira who was cooking a stew on the stove. Lisanna was cutting up veggies on the counter nearby. "Hey, Mira, Lisanna. That smells good." He smiled warmly at the sisters.

"Hi Freed," Mira replied brightly, smiling at him. Lisanna waved cheerily from her spot at the counter. "What can we do for you?"

"I wanted to order food for myself, Laxus, Ever, and Bix, please. That stew smells delectable, if you have four servings to spare," Freed chuckled.

"Of course," Mira exclaimed. "I'll bring it out as soon as it's done," she smiled. Freed hesitated slightly, earning a quirked brow from Mira. "There was something else though, wasn't there?" She asked, smiling encouragingly at him, eyes softening.

"I also wanted to confide in you and request your assistance, if you're willing." Freed blushed, nerves sweeping his body.

"Sure, Freed. What's going on?" She pulled a stool over to the stove, indicating that he should sit. Freed sat, fidgeting slightly. Mira smiled, waiting patiently.

Freed sighed. "I'm in love with Laxus," he said quietly. Mira grinned as if she already knew that and gestured for him to continue. "I suppose that was rather obvious," he sighed," but before I went into a coma, I told him." Freed glanced at Mira as she sucked in a breath, eyes wide.

"What'd he say?" She asked excitedly. Freed felt Lisanna's eyes on him and knew she was listening intently too.

"Nothing." Freed couldn't help the sadness that crept into his voice. Mira frowned, reaching out to clasp his hand sympathetically. "I accidentally overheard him say that it was too much to deal with. He sounded panicked. I didn't stay to listen further. I didn't need to. I know how he feels. He's my friend, nothing more." Freed said, voice hollow, tears stuck in his eyes. 

"Anyway," he continued, clearing his throat, "I think it would be best if I took a non-active solo job for the week, allowing Laxus time to come to terms with how I feel. I don't want him to grow wary of spending time with me. I think he needs this. And I need time to get over this damned heartbreak." Freed felt his tears pool over for a second time. He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. Mira instantly reached out, pulling him into a tight embrace. Lisanna came over and rubbed his back. 

It took him less time to compose himself this time, so after only a moment, he pulled back, wiping his eyes. "I was hoping you would sign off on this job request for me," he pulled the paper from his pocket, taking a deep breath.

Mira looked over the paper, making sure it was easy and there weren't any catches. "Of course, Freed. If you truly think this will help." She hesitated. "Are you sure that Laxus doesn't feel the same though?"

Freed sighed. "Yeah. Laxus is very straightforward. He would have said something by now. I can only assume he doesn't want to hurt me. I need this, Mira," he said softly, eyes pleading.

"Okay," she sighed, grabbing a pen from the counter and signing the form for the job request. "Take care of yourself though, alright?" Mira asked, cupping his cheek in affection. "We were all so worried about you, so make sure you come back to your family." She smiled sweetly at Freed.

"Yeah, stay safe. It'll all work out," Lisanna gave Freed a brief hug, returning to cutting the vegetables.

"Now head back before they get suspicious. I'm assuming this job is a secret, right?" Freed nodded. "I thought so. I'll bring the stew out shortly," she gave Freed one last hug before returning to her cooking. Freed wiped his eyes again, leaving the kitchen.

Freed walked out, noticing that his team moved to a dining table. He took the only available seat beside Laxus. "You alright?" Laxus asked, glancing at the rune mage, eyebrow quirked in question.

"Yeah. Mira's making stew. It smells delicious," Freed smiled brightly at Laxus. Despite his heartache, Laxus still warmed Freed whenever he was around him. "Should be done soon too."

"Good, I'm starving," Laxus replied, his stomach growling loudly. Freed chuckled at the dragon slayer.

"So when can we start training with you again, Freed?" Bixlow asked, leaning forward on the table, tikis floating above.

"Soon enough," Freed laughed, taking a swift drink of tea to cover his lie. He knew if any of the three individuals sitting before him found out that he was planning on leaving for a solo mission, they would stop him. They would resort to tying him up, if necessary. 

He rationed to himself that it was the right thing to do. Both he and Laxus needed time to understand this new dynamic to their relationship. Freed let his eyes trail to Laxus, only to find the dragon slayer staring at him eyebrows pulled slightly in concern. He gave the lightning mage a soft, reassuring smile. It was the right thing to do, he thought.

"Well, I really wanna show you my new technique," Bixlow whined, drawing Freed's attention back to the rest of the table.

"Soon, Bix," Freed laughed again. "I'm feeling better and better every day." He smiled at the seith mage.

"Good, cause I'm sick of babysitting this dork when he practices it." Ever shoved Bix playfully, giggling as he feigned hurt.

Laxus sniffed the air quickly, glancing at the kitchen door just as Mira was walking through. She carried a tray filled with bowls of stew.


	14. Talks of Sunsets and Storms

"Enjoy," Mira smiled sweetly, setting a bowl in front of Freed and his companions before walking off with the tray to deliver more stew to the other guild members. Laxus hungrily dug in, not even blowing on the steaming stew to cool it, just shoving the spoon in his mouth. Bixlow did the same, but he ended up sputtering at how hot it was, spilling some of the stew on the table. Ever and Freed both rolled their eyes and grinned at one another, carefully blowing on their stew and eating it.

"Mmm," Freed moaned, "this is delicious." Freed glanced at his companions. Bix nodded in enthusiasm, slurping up more. Ever hummed in agreement. Laxus grunted, cheeks burning red. Freed wondered if the stew was too hot for Laxus and he was trying to save face. The thought made Freed smile. Several moments passed in near silence as they continued their meal. Eventually, Bix leaned back, patting his belly with a content sigh. Laxus was already requesting seconds from Mira. Ever and Freed slowly finished their meal.

"Did you guys have more plans for the night?" Freed queried, glancing at Bix and Ever. Laxus got his second bowl of stew and began devouring it once more.

"I promised I would help Elfman train," Ever mumbled, tucking her hair behind her ear as her cheeks warmed. "The big oaf wants to improve his speed, and of course, being a fairy, I'm the perfect teacher," she said proudly, trying to cover her embarrassment. Freed kicked Bix under the table when he opened his mouth, assuredly to begin teasing Ever.

"I think that's wonderful," Freed said, smiling at Ever. "You are as agile as a fairy and he will do well to listen to you." Ever beamed with pride at the compliment. "What about you Bix?" Freed asked quickly, trying to help Ever by changing the topic. Bixlow sighed, but followed Freed's lead, pouting slightly.

"I think I might challenge Cana to a drinking contest," he grinned, tongue lolling out. His tikis began chanting, "chug," "chug," "chug," above him.

Freed arched a brow, "do you really think that's wise?"

"Yeah, she's already way ahead of me, I think I might stand a chance tonight," he pointed at Cana who was slurring heavily, leaning against the bar and talking to Gildarts.

"If you say so," Freed said, still looking unsure. "What are your plans?" Freed asked Laxus hesitantly as the dragon slayer finished his second bowl of stew.

"Nothin'," Laxus muttered. "What do you wanna do?" He locked eyes with the rune mage, one eyebrow quirked.

"Oh, I hadn't thought of anything. Perhaps it would be nice to watch the sunset in the park. I might start one of my new books even. I haven't decided yet." Freed shrugged nonchalantly. He was sure with his suggestions that Laxus would decide to remain at the guild and drink with Bixlow or head back to their apartment. Watching sunsets and reading were not typically something that Laxus joined in. Sometimes Freed could convince Ever to join. Even Levy or Juvia were more likely. It would give him time alone to think about his situation

"Alright, we can do that," Laxus shrugged, cheeks burning, taking a swift drink of his beer. Freed's jaw dropped slightly in shock. Ever elbowed him in the side quickly before Laxus noticed. When Laxus looked up and saw his three teammates staring at him in surprise though, he huffily looked away. "I mean, you can't be alone yet, right?" He muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll just practice with my new knives if I get bored," he shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant.

After several awkward seconds, Freed finally composed himself, butterflies swirling in his stomach at the thought of watching a sunset with Laxus. "Ah- um, okay," Freed stuttered slightly, nerves prickling his skin. He swallowed harshly, glancing at Bix and Ever, only to find them grinning at each other conspiratorially. Freed glared at the two when Laxus was distracted by his beer once more.

"Well, that's settled then," Ever clapped, smiling brightly. "I'm gonna go find Elfman, you guys have fun," she stood, walking around the table. She winked at Freed when she was behind Laxus. Freed blushed profusely, glaring at her. She just laughed, waving at her teammates as she crossed the guild to find Elfman. Seconds later, Bix stretched his arms above his head.

"I think I'm gonna challenge Cana now before she passes out," he laughed maniacally, tikis swirling around him as he waved to the two, headed toward the swaying Cana at the bar. Bix ended up challenging both Cana and Gildarts. Freed shook his head, a small smile on his face.

"I need to speak with gramps before we leave," Laxus said, chugging the rest of his beer.

"That's fine," Freed said, gathering the bowls and mugs from the table. "I'll just go drop these off with Mira while you do that," he smiled at the dragon slayer, collecting all the dishes on a tray and heading to the kitchen. He watched as Laxus strode confidently up the stairs to speak with his grandfather, though a barely perceptible tension in Laxus's shoulders made Freed frown.

"Hello," Freed said, opening the kitchen door. "I came to drop off the dishes. Thank you both for the meal. Your cooking was as delectable as ever," he smiled graciously at both women, depositing the tray near the sink.

"Glad you liked it," Mira smiled from her spot by the stove where she was cleaning.

"Would you like help cleaning?" Freed asked.

"No, that's fine," Lisanna smiled. "Go enjoy your night." Freed smiled gratefully at her, bidding both women farewell. Freed sat at a dining table, waiting for Laxus to finish his conversation. It seemed as if the sun would be setting in an hour or so, Freed thought to himself, glancing out a window. Freed pulled out one of his new books, sitting forward at the table, laying the book flat on its surface. Freed was instantly drawn into the story, his surroundings melting away.

Several minutes passed before Freed was startled by a large hand grasping his shoulder. “Hey, you ready to go?” Laxus asked, one eyebrow quirked at the rune mage.

“Yes,” Freed smiled at the dragon slayer, head drawn back to look into his eyes. Laxus let his hand fall back to his side and Freed instantly missed the radiating warmth. Freed marked the page he was on, closing the book and placing it back in the store bag. He stood, reaching his arms above his head as he stretched. His muscles were sore from hunching over the table for so long. Laxus coughed slightly, glancing at the guild doors.

Both men left the guild, following the path they had taken in the afternoon. Freed noticed it was nearing sunset and quickened his pass slightly. He was hoping to reach his favorite spot before the colors spread across the sky. Laxus kept pace silently beside him, occasionally glancing at the excited rune mage in amusement. They wound their way through the blooming park until a small willow tree stood apart from the rest, a cozy bench tucked beside it. 

Freed had planted the tree only a few years ago when he had first found the spot. He knew that eventually it would grow to the point where you couldn’t see the sunset from the bench beside it anymore, but it was still the most peaceful spot to read. It was surrounded by flowers, and the setting sun was beginning to paint the sky orange and pink, making the flowers around them stand out even more. Freed knew this was an incredibly romantic setting, but it was his favorite place and he had truly thought Laxus would refuse to accompany him.

Freed smiled at the dragon slayer, tucking a stray piece of hair behind his ear and sitting on one side of the bench. He allowed ample room for the large lightning mage to sit beside him. 

“This is my favorite place to read,” Freed said softly. He had never taken anyone to this spot, but it felt right to allow Laxus into such a personal place. “When I was a child, my mother adored the towering willow tree on our property and often sat me in her lap beneath it, reading novels to me.” Freed smiled contentedly at the memories, gazing at the setting sun. “A few years ago, I wandered into this secluded, overgrown section of the park. I spent some time clearing it out, putting this bench in, and eventually planting this tree in honor of my mother.” 

Freed looked up at the sprouting tree, eyes glistening. “I know she would be sitting under this tree every day, reading stories, if she were still here.” He spoke softly, never having opened up so much about his mother before. He glanced at Laxus, surprised by the softness he held in his eyes. Laxus was not normally one to show such emotion. Although he had been opening up more in recent years, it was still a struggle for him. Freed smiled brightly at the dragon slayer, admiration apparent in his gaze. Laxus glanced away, looking at the beautiful sunset, cheeks tinted pink.

“Your mom would have loved being here with you,” Laxus said softly. Freed hummed in agreement, looking out at the sunset as well. “I don’t remember much about my mom,” Laxus admitted, refusing to look at Freed. “All I remember is her pulling me out into a storm when I was really young, because I was terrified of lightning, of all things,” he chuckled. Freed chuckled, picturing a young Laxus towed along by his mother. “She held me in her arms, dancing around in the storm as lightning struck around us, just grinning like a madwoman.” Laxus laughed. “I guess she’s the reason I learned to love my magic.”

“I can’t imagine you ever fearing lightning,” Freed chuckled softly. “It’s so wholly you. Your mother must have known that.” Laxus blushed, glancing at Freed with a soft smile. It warmed Freed’s heart to see Laxus so carefree with his emotions and opening up about his mother.

“The sunset is quite breathtaking tonight,” Freed sighed dreamily, watching the colors mix and fade. Laxus grunted in agreement, staring off at the horizon. The world around them tinted in a golden haze, illuminating the flowers. Freed knew the sunsets were beautiful, but he never remembered them exactly as they were. He wished for this image, and this memory, to remain as clear as ever in his mind. Sitting with Laxus in a place he hadn’t told a soul about prior, was incredibly special to him.


	15. Freed the Dwarfed

As the sun sank below the horizon, the stars began peaking through the purple curtain, the moon soon following. Freed startled, his body shivering. Laxus glanced at the rune mage, one eyebrow raised. “You cold?” He asked, laughing slightly when Freed shivered more violently, not able to respond properly. “Let’s get you home.” Laxus stood, hand held out to help Freed up as well. Freed smiled gratefully, taking Laxus’s hand and allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. “Dammit, Freed,” Laxus cursed suddenly, startling the rune mage.

“What?” Freed asked, eyebrows pulled together, pouting from the outburst.

“You should have told me you basically had frostbite,” Laxus hissed dramatically, pulling his fur jacket off his shoulders. Freed’s eyes widened and he brought his fingers to his lips, surprised by the coldness in them.

“I suppose, after spending a week indoors, I simply forgot about the weather,” Freed chuckled. Laxus huffed, draping his warm coat over Freed’s slimmer shoulders.

Freed’s eyes widened again as Laxus began laughing deeply. His brows scrunched and he tilted his head. "And what, pray tell, is so funny?” Freed asked.

“Freed the Dark, a once menacing force is now dwarfed by a coat and looking like a shivering kitten” Laxus continued laughing as Freed glared at the dragon slayer.

“I’m very intimidating to many a foe, I’ll have you know,” Freed huffed, flipping his hair over his shoulder. He continued glaring at the lightning mage, cheeks reddening.

“Not in that, you’re not,” Laxus doubled over laughing at the irate rune mage. Freed merely crossed his arms, glancing away from Laxus with a huff, head held high.

“Are you finished?” Freed asked, sputtering slightly when stray bits of fur entered his mouth, which only made Laxus laugh harder. Freed, despite his wounded dignity, couldn’t help the small smile that graced his face at hearing Laxus laugh so genuinely. It warmed his heart knowing that he was privy to this side of the dragon slayer. After only a couple more moments, Laxus was able to calm himself, cheeks flushed from laughing so much.

“Yeah,” Laxus chuckled a couple more times, “let’s get out of here.” He patted Freed’s head affectionately, in the same manner he did to Asuka when no one was watching, not wanting to deny his tough-guy reputation. The action made Freed sputter once more in embarrassment. Laxus kept chuckling as he walked away, winding along the path. Freed rolled his eyes, following after Laxus, as always.

The walk home was mostly silent, as Freed was trying to gather his missing dignity in a coat that was five times too big for him, and Laxus was trying to rein in his laughter every time he glanced at Freed stomping around in his giant coat. They arrived home after only a few minutes, the park being only a few blocks from their home. The lights were on inside, so Freed assumed Bix and Ever were in the living room. His assumption was proved correct as he entered the house and was instantly lifted up in a large bear hug by an exceedingly drunk Bix, with Ever huffing dramatically behind him. Freed laughed, hugging the seith mage.

“Aw, Laxus gave you his soft coat,” Bix cooed, rubbing his face into the fur on the collar after setting Freed on the ground. Laxus pulled Bix away from Freed, dropping the drunk man on the couch. Ever smirked at Freed when Laxus had his back turned, in an if-that-doesn’t-mean-he-loves-you-then-what-does type of manner. Freed could tell what she was thinking by the smugness in her smile. He shook his head sadly, pulling Laxus’s jacket off and hanging it by the door. Ever pouted at him, sure that something had happened.

“Did you have to fetch him?” Freed asked Evergreen, pointing at the seith mage who was dumped unceremoniously onto the couch by an already irate Laxus.

“Yeah, I don’t know why he thought he could take on both Cana and Gildarts, the moron.” She rolled her eyes, but Freed saw the affection hidden beneath the annoyance.

“I nearly did,” Bix shouted, his tikis only bobbing slightly around him, mostly rolling around in the air and stumbling into one another.

“Sure you did,” Freed chuckled, humoring the seith mage.

“I did,” he shouted again before passing out. Several seconds later and his echoing snores filled the room.

“I’ll bring him to bed,” Laxus muttered, hoisting the seith mage over his shoulder and heading in the direction of Bix’s bedroom.

As soon as he was gone, Ever launched at Freed, radiating with excitement. “So what happened?” She asked, smiling like a madwoman.

“Nothing.” Freed pushed her back slightly with a soft laugh. “You dork. We talked, and then I got cold without the sun, so he gave me his coat for the walk home.”

“Okay, but I’ve never seen him lend that jacket to anyone else, just saying.” Freed rolled his eyes as she began wiggling her eyebrows at him.

“He just didn’t want me to get frostbite or a cold and wind up back in the hospital,” Freed said, cheeks flushing at the memory of Laxus’s teasing.

“Sure,” Ever sung, smirking slightly as she saw his blushing cheeks.

“Anyway, I’m exhausted,” Freed said, glancing over at the hallway as Laxus reappeared. “It’s been a long, wonderful day, so I think I’m going to retire to my room.”

“Same, I’m beat, night” Ever yawned, stretching her arms over her head with a smirk, heading to her bedroom.

"Freed?" Laxus spoke quietly, partly shadowed in the dim light, face downcast. Freed paused on his way past Laxus, glancing back at the lightning mage. "I just wanted to say, I uh." He paused, face scrunching up, jaw clenching. 

A small growl escaped his lips and he spun around, wild eyes landing on Freed. "I just," he raked a hand through his unruly hair, eyes shifting down the hallway. He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, almost hesitant. He startled back to reality when Freed placed his hand gently on Laxus's arm. Laxus sighed deeply, seeming to come to a decision. "Freed," he locked eyes with the rune mage. "You're my best friend, and you always will be." His eyes turned down, and with a mumbled, "night," his hulking figure was receding down the hallway, leaving a puzzled Freed staring into the darkness for several minutes before retreating to his bedroom as well.

As soon as Freed reached his room, he undressed, climbing into bed. He planned on waking early to pack and leave before anyone else was awake. He cast runes around his room to cancel any noise before setting an alarm and falling quickly to sleep, dreaming of sunsets and storms.


	16. Freed's Solo Mission

Freed woke early to his alarm the next morning, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and stretching. He quickly shut off the alarm, standing up and pulling out the job request. It was in a small town nearby. Apparently, a storm had destroyed the local library, and the town had pooled the money to rebuild it, but an entire shipment of new books arrived to fill the library once more and they needed them organized before next week. 

It seemed simple enough, so Freed packed light, knowing food and lodging would be provided. Freed decided to skip the shower this morning, choosing to tie his hair back instead, because he didn’t want anyone to find out his plans. He tied his sword around his waist before double-checking for his money, identification, and any other essentials.

Freed took out a piece of paper and a pen, jotting a quick note for Laxus:

My dear Laxus,

I decided to take a week long, SAFE, NON-ACTIVE, solo mission of organizing a library to allow you time to come to terms with my love for you. I know this new dynamic to our friendship will not be easy, but I want to remain by your side, always, in whatever capacity you grant me. I apologize for leaving so abruptly, but I felt this was necessary for the both of us. I realize the knowledge of my love for you has not been easy to comprehend and I understand that you do not feel similarly, yet this is still causing you grief. It is my belief that my absence will allow you time to contemplate this new development more thoroughly and find solid ground on which to base our future friendship on. This time apart will also allow me to overcome the involuntary grief of knowing my love is not reciprocated. I do not demand any romantics from you, but I need time to overcome the heartache, if you please. When I return, I believe our friendship will stand firm and perhaps be stronger than it once was.

All my love, and forever yours,

Freed

Freed swung his pack over his shoulder as he placed silencing runes around the entire house, heading out of his room. Freed walked stealthily through the house despite his spells, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he reached the street outside. Freed removed the silencing runes, continuing down the street to the train station. 

Freed stopped briefly at a food stand to grab breakfast on his way. He knew he would probably eat lunch once he got to the town and settled into his residence for the week, so he only ate a couple scones to tide him over till then. Freed reached the train station, ordering a one-way ticket to Hargeon. Freed was surprised to find that only a few times were available for the day, but luckily he only had to wait half an hour for the first one. He sat on a bench nearby, reading his new book as he waited. Once he boarded the train, the rest of the journey passed with him quietly reading.

Freed arrived at the station in Hargeon at nearly 11 in the morning, walking through the large city to find a carriage into Votgree, the small town. The carriage ride was only an hour-long, but Freed passed the time easily by reading. By the time the carriage pulled into town he was almost done with his novel. He consulted his map, locating the library where he was supposed to meet his client. 

Freed smiled at the town’s occupants, glancing around at the shops. He was hoping to become familiar with his surroundings, at least slightly, so he could easily locate the stores when he needed them. Freed’s eyes widened when he saw the library, which the town had recently re-done. It was beautiful, with tall towers, stain glass windows. Freed thought it almost looked like a church, eyeing the intricate paintings.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” A young woman asked, standing nearby. She smiled at Freed’s awed expression. “You must be the Fairy Tail wizard that’s come to organize it.” She held out her hand, smiling sweetly at Freed. "I'm Fiona Torrin, but everyone calls me Rin. I'm the owner." Freed reached out, clasping her hand and shaking it.

"I'm Freed Justine. It's a pleasure to meet you," Freed smiled brightly, releasing her hand. He gestured at the building. "Your town has down a wonderful job restoring the building. It's breathtaking." Rin laughed, glancing at the building.

"It really is. The town has worked so hard to help me rebuild it, and I'm blown away by their kindness. Everyone's really excited that you're here," she glanced at Freed. "They're excited to have it back in service."

"I can imagine. I would be lost without a library," Freed laughed.

"We've all been feeling that," she shook her head sadly. "But that's in the past. Let me show you around." Rin gestured for Freed to follow her inside, greeting a few townsfolk walking past. Freed glanced at the large, beautifully carved wooden doors depicting large trees with children reading beneath them. The entire library was a work of art, Freed thought. "A lot of the townsfolk here make a living on artistic practices. They were kind enough to volunteer their time to create this masterpiece." Freed was in awe at how generous they were, because the door and stain glass must have taken days to complete. It was so detailed and Freed felt the desire to thank them personally.

"It really is incredible," Freed whispered. Rin laughed at his wide-eyed expression, opening the doors. Freed thought the inside was just as impressive as the outside, with deep-toned woods for the shelving, which reached the ceiling. The middle of the floor was painted with an equally impressive work of art, depicting an aerial view of the town itself. "The people of this town must truly love reading," Freed smiled at Rin, " or you," he laughed. Rin's cheeks warmed as she chuckled.

"They love reading like they love their own art forms. It's another way to find inspiration, I think." She walked between the shelves, unlocking a room in the back which led to a staircase. "Well, all the books are in the basement right now. It's the only place that would fit them all without crowding the shelves." 

She walked down the steps, Freed following behind. "We managed to save about a third of the books, so those are already somewhat sorted." She opened the door at the base of the stairs, revealing a room filled with boxes. "Unfortunately, the new books we ordered to fill the rest of the shelves are not sorted at all. So you have a lot of work ahead of you," she laughed.

"That's perfectly alright, I'll enjoy the work," Freed smiled at her.

Rin nodded her approval. "Here you go," she tossed Freed a set of three keys. "This is the key to the library itself. This is for the basement door. This is for your room at the inn," she pointed to each in turn. Freed nodded, grasping the keys and pocketing them.

"You can get started later, I'll show you the inn so you can get settled first." She waved for Freed to follow her. Freed followed her out of the library and through town. Several people greeted them along the way, introducing themselves to Freed. He was pleased to see such a strong community where everyone genuinely seemed to care for one another. It felt reminiscent of Fairy Tail.

"Here it is," she walked into a small blue building. "Hi Tilly, how's it going?" Rin smiled brightly at the woman behind the counter of the inn.

"Hey Fiona," Tilly smirked at the girl, causing Rin to blush heavily. "It's been quiet, ya know how it is. Hi," she reached a hand out to Freed, "I'm Tilly Torrin," Freed raised an eyebrow at her name, but shook her hand firmly.

"My name is Freed Justine, it's a pleasure to meet you." He released her hand. "Forgive me, but I'm assuming you're sisters then?" Freed smiled at both women.

"Yeah, Tilly's my younger sister," Rin smiled proudly. "She runs the inn even though our parents own it." She gestured to a picture of the four of them hanging behind the counter. "But anyway, let me show you to your room," she said, walking up a set of stairs to the right. She used a key she borrowed from Tilly to open the door. Freed stepped into the room, depositing his bag onto the bed. It was a fairly standard room, decorated in blue. It felt cozy to Freed though. "I'll let you get settled, come find me at the library after dinner," Rin smiled, bidding Freed farewell and closing the door behind her.

Freed slowly unpacked his bag, folding and sorting his clothes in the dresser. Once he finished, he went and took a long-awaited shower. It felt nice, combing his hair out after so much traveling that day. Freed glanced at the time, deciding to let his body heal and take a nap before dinner. Although he had no adverse effects from the coma, he still felt exhausted from time to time. It took a toll on his body that he was still recovering from. Freed let himself sleep for an hour before walking into town to find a place to eat dinner. He knew the inn provided certain meals, but he decided to try to become familiar with the town instead.

Freed decided on a family-run diner near the library. It was a pleasant meal. Freed had a lot of time to think about his relationship with Laxus. He didn't regret leaving for the week, but he couldn't help but wonder how Laxus felt reading the note. He knew it was sudden, especially after having such a nice day with Laxus yesterday, but that was the point. If Freed didn't take time to himself, and didn't prepare himself for an official conversation with Laxus, he would let those wonderful moments cloud his judgment with hope, which would only cause more problems for their friendship. Overall, Freed knew, regardless of Laxus' reaction, he needed this time too. He needed to help ease the raw ache in his heart by Laxus not returning his feelings.

Freed paid for his meal, heading back to the library. He was hoping to discuss with Rin how she wanted the books organized and at least begin sorting them into piles. He walked into the library, still stunned by its beauty, searching around for Rin. He found her, dusting shelves near the back by her office.

"Hello Rin," Freed greeted, smiling at the girl as she worked.

"Hey Freed, how was dinner?" She tossed a rag over her shoulder, standing to face him, leaning against the bookshelf.

"Delectable. I ate at the diner, so I could become more familiar with your town," Freed smiled politely at Rin.

"That's my favorite," she exclaimed. "Cyprus and Lyra run the best diner in all of Fiore," she gestured wildly, indicating the entire country, laughing.

Freed chuckled, "yes, it was wonderful."

"Did you want to start working tonight then?" She asked, waving her hand around.

"Indeed. I was hoping to find out how you would like things organized?"

"Oh, just by genre and author. Nothing special. I'll leave it all to you, you seem to know your way around a library after all. Just make sure to update the records as you go, so we can easily find everything" She smiled brightly at Freed causing him to blush slightly.

"Well, I'll leave you to it then," Freed smiled. Rin saluted him, grabbing her rag and cleaning the shelves again. Freed chuckled, heading to the basement to sort through the books. Freed sat in the middle of the basement surrounded by boxes of books, creating clear and distinct piles for categorization. 

Several hours passed before Freed heard a door slam open and a startled shriek from Rin. Freed grabbed his sword, rushing up the stairs. He sprinted to the doors, carefully examining his surroundings, trying to find the intruder. Freed was surprised to see Rin pressed against a shelf, frozen to the spot, staring at the figure standing in the doorway. Freed looked to the intruder and felt like a bucket of ice water was dumped over his head.

"Laxus?" Freed whispered in shock.


	17. Confrontation

Laxus stood in the doorway, brows drawn in anger, arms crossed, his magical energy crackling out of his control. A frustrated growl emanated from Laxus, snapping Freed out of his shock. He rushed toward the dragon slayer, sheathing his sword and grasping Laxus's arm, despite the painful currents of electricity surrounding his body. Freed clenched his teeth in pain, looking up into Laxus's face to get his attention.

"Laxus, please try to control your anger. The townsfolk just repaired this library," he spoke urgently, clutching Laxus's arm tightly, trying to ground him.

Laxus squeezed his eyes shut, releasing another frustrated growl, trying to bring his magical energy back to him. 

Several long, agonizing seconds later, Freed felt the pain in his fingers dull into numbness as Laxus tamed his emotions. Freed shook out his fingers, only now noticing that Laxus was dripping wet with a storm fully raging outside. As the seconds dragged on, the lightning filled storm set into a simple downpour, Laxus's magical energy returning to him. 

Freed slid his hand down to clasp Laxus's own, "come on, let's get you dry." Laxus's eyes snapped open at Freed's hand grabbing his own, and Freed smiled softly at the dragon slayer.

"I apologize for the disturbance, Rin" he glanced at the owner. "I'll come back soon, please forgive us." Rin nodded slowly, still shocked by the events, fingers gripping the bookcase in support.

Freed dragged Laxus through the streets to the inn. Laxus remained stony-faced and didn't speak, just let himself be pulled along. Freed couldn't quell the anxiety swirling in his gut. He had a feeling of dread that something terrible happened to someone dear to him. He felt bile rise in his throat, but pushed it down. He took a deep breath as he opened the inn's doors, dragging Laxus up to his room, barely noticing Tilly at the counter. 

Once inside, Freed managed to pull Laxus’s fur coat off of him, hanging it on a hook in the bathroom to dry. He handed Laxus a towel to dry his hair, grabbing one for himself as well. Freed deposited his own jacket on the hook near the door, since it wasn’t nearly as soaked as the other one. Freed glanced at the dragon slayer, watching as he took deep breaths, eyes closed, fists clenching tightly to the towel in his hands.

“What happened?” Freed asked cautiously, the anxiety rolling in his gut. He quickly wrung out his hair with the towel before tossing it to the floor.

Laxus’s eyes snapped open, pinning Freed to the spot with their intensity. “You left,” Laxus growled at Freed. Freed sucked in a sharp breath, eyes widening. "You fucking left.” Freed felt like he got punched in the gut, stepping back slightly and falling onto the bed.

“Wh-what?” Freed stuttered. He was shocked that Laxus was bringing this up now, when it appeared that something more serious happened. Freed clenched his fists, rising to his feet to face the dragon slayer. He glared defiantly at Laxus. “I left because it was the right thing to do. But nevermind that. What happened? Are Bix and Ever alright?” Freed asked, brows drawn together in worry, eyes pleading despite the angry magical energy coursing through his body. Laxus looked momentarily confused before he laughed slightly, eyes softening minutely.

“They’re fine. Everyone’s safe. But you left,” Laxus whispered, looking away from Freed.

“That’s why you’re upset?” Freed asked, baffled. “That’s why you came all the way here? No other reason?” He glanced, wide-eyed at Laxus, falling back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He felt the anger vanish from his body in a heartbeat, leaving only confusion. His eyebrows scrunched together as he tilted his head, locking eyes with the dragon slayer.

“Of course it is, you idiot. You just fucking left,” Laxus hissed, anger spiking again. The lights flickered slightly, both men glancing around momentarily. Laxus closed his eyes, trying to reign in the chaotic magical energy seeping through his skin.

“Did you not find my note?” Freed asked hesitantly, eyebrow quirking.

Laxus laughed humorlessly, “of course I found your damn note, Freed.” Laxus crossed his arms over his chest, cheeks reddening. His eyebrow pinched as he began pacing the room. Laxus dwarfed the furniture in the small inn, barely walking three paces before turning around again. Freed shrank under the accusations, fingers fidgeting as guilt wormed its way into his heart.

“Then why are you angry? I thought you would appreciate the time apart.” Freed spoke softly, sitting up, fingers twirling in the fabric of the blanket underneath him, not looking at Laxus. 

“Freed, I-,” Laxus cut off, spinning abruptly on the spot, raking a hand through his disheveled hair. All the hairs on the dragon slayer’s head stuck up from the electricity sparking at his fingertips and Freed couldn’t help but soften at the sight. 

Laxus dropped onto the mattress beside Freed, not looking at the rune mage. Freed reached out a hand, gripping Laxus’s arm, trying to quell the last bit of magical energy. “Look,” Laxus started again, jaw clenching. He sighed dramatically. Freed thought he could even give Ever a run for her money with that sigh. “I was worried,” he mumbled. 

Freed’s eyebrows rose, “whatever for? This is a simple job.” He stroked Laxus’s arm. 

Laxus glanced around before his eyes landed on Freed. “You were in a coma for a month, Freed.” He looked away again, peering around the room, deep in thought. “A whole month where I wasn’t sure if I was gonna lose you or if I’d ever talk to you again.” Freed’s eyes glistened, feeling Laxus’s pain as his own. He knew all too well that feeling. The waiting. The what-ifs. He knew the heartache of watching a friend unconscious, wondering if you’ll ever hear their voice again. He also knew that Laxus beat himself up about it, placing Freed’s consequences squarely on his own shoulders.

“I wanted to say,” Laxus hesitated again, shaking his head and glancing around the room. He took a deep breath. Freed watched his Thunder God, waiting patiently for him to finish. Freed watched the emotions shift in Laxus’s eyes, and knew he was contemplating his next words. Freed squeezed his arm, smiling softly in encouragement even though Laxus was distracted and wouldn’t notice. 

“I’m-,” He cut off, a small growl escaping his pursed lips. “Fuck, nevermind that. Freed, I just don’t want you on your own yet. You’re not fully recovered.” Freed sighed in disappointment, releasing Laxus’s arm and twining his fingers together in his lap. Freed’s heart clenched at the knowledge that his friend chose not to trust him again. Laxus raked a hand through his hair, glancing at Freed out of the corner of his eye.

“If you insist,” Freed said, rising from the bed, followed closely by Laxus. “You may stay in the village. But please, Laxus, if you can’t return to Fairy Tail without me, at least grant me this one request.” Freed looked down at the floor, shoulders hunched.

“Sure, Freed, anything.” Laxus grinned at him, trying to catch his eye. When Freed continued inspecting the floor, however, Laxus’s stomach lurched. Anxiety made the electricity stick to his skin, raising the hairs on his arms.

“Please give me space.” Freed spoke softly, crossing his arms over his chest, voice hollow. Laxus’s heart pounded as he stepped back half a pace as if slapped.

“What?” He asked, eyebrows crinkling. “Why?” Laxus consciously had to keep his hands from reaching out to Freed and comforting him.

“Because as thoroughly as I prepared myself for the inevitable heartache that would accompany my unreciprocated feelings, I was ill equipped for this pain.” Freed’s voice broke at the end as he glanced up, his tear-filled eyes locking on Laxus.

“Freed,” Laxus took half a step forward, fingers reaching out to the rune mage, but clasping on air as Freed backstepped.

“Please, Laxus, just for this week, let me heal. Give me space, I beg of you,” Freed felt the tears fall from his lashes, running down his pale cheeks as he looked into his Thunder God’s eyes. 

Laxus instantly smelt the salty tinge, his heart hammering. He swallowed the lump in his throat, his voice buried deep in his guilt-rotten gut. He felt his electricity building and he wasn’t sure if he could stop it. He wasn’t sure if he even wanted to. Any words Laxus had planned to say dried up on the tip of his tongue in the salty air. 

Laxus spun abruptly and was out the door in two paces. He ran down the cobbled street, past the outskirts of town, before dropping to his knees and screaming. Lightning crashed around him in waves, deadly fireworks in the deserted prairie. He released wave after wave of chaotic magical energy, the lightning striking the Earth all around him. He cursed himself and his cowardice. His weakness. His inability to keep Freed safe and happy. He cursed his own life. 

Freed collapsed onto the bed as Laxus slammed the door. Sobs wracked his slight frame. Freed knew he needed the time apart, he needed to heal. But that didn’t stop the guilt that slammed into his heart as he heard the resounding thunder in the distance. 

After a few minutes, Freed sighed as the tears dried. Fuck. He needed a drink.


	18. Drunken Tales

Freed trudged down the stairs, wiping his dry eyes and trying to steady his shaking legs. As he passed the counter, Tilly reached for his arm, pulling him toward her. She had mischief in her eyes and a question on her tongue. Both fizzled at the expression on Freed’s face, the redness in his eyes. 

“Aw, what happened? Was it that big guy?” Her eyes softened as she released him, tucking her elbows onto the counter, head in her hands as she stared at Freed. He swallowed harshly, glancing away momentarily.

“Yes. He, uh,” the words failed him. He didn’t know how to summarize the events. It was too much, and too soon. He needed to compose himself. “It’s a long story,” he cleared his throat, glancing at Tilly. She pouted slightly, reminding Freed of Evergreen, wanting to hear the gossip, but being too kind of a person to push him. “I need a drink,” he sighed.

“Well, lucky for you, we’ve got a nice pub just down the street,” she smiled at him, hitching her thumb over her shoulder. “My shift ends in,” she glanced at the clock behind her, “eight minutes. Go grab Rin and I’ll meet you there.”

Freed shook his head, wide-eyed, “Tilly, you don’t-,” but she cut through him, voice as sweet as honey.

“I know," she drew out the words. "But even if you don’t want to talk about it, it’s good to have company,” she reached across, squeezing Freed’s hand. “Now, go grab Rin, I’ll see you soon.” She released Freed, turning her back on him before he could protest. Freed chuckled softly, striding out the door and across the street to the library. 

He cautiously opened the door, trying not to give Rin another fright. As he stepped into the library, he nearly bumped into Rin as she was mopping up the floor near the entrance. Guilt wormed through Freed, but Rin merely smiled up at him. “Are you okay?” She asked.

“That is…” he trailed off. “Irrelevant,” he landed on, voice rough. ”I apologize for the mess, Rin. Please, let me help.” He moved toward her, intending to grab the mop. She pulled away before he could reach her, however.

“Irrelevant?” She laughed softly. “Seems pretty damn important to me.” Freed’s eyebrows scrunched, mouth quirking to the side. She continued mopping the last few puddles. “And nah, I’m almost done. Besides, I don’t mind.” She gave Freed a genuine smile, but he could see the concern in her eyes. “So who was he?” She asked casually, as if the answer didn’t really matter. “He seemed pretty angry,” she mumbled, squeezing out the mop one last time before putting in a closet nearby.

“He’s my,” again Freed paused, still unsure how to answer that. Friend? Too simple. Love? Too complex. Guildmate? Too causal. He sighed in frustration. “It’s complicated,” he finished lamely. “And a long story. I’m going to get a drink. According to Tilly, you’re both accompanying me,” he laughed, a warmness in his chest at her kindness.

“Sounds like Tilly,” she chuckled. “Fine by me, let me just lock up.” Freed stood outside as Rin locked the beautiful library doors. He followed her down the street to a quaint little pub near the edge of town, a companionable silence settling over the pair. 

They enter the pub and the first thing Freed noticed was a spiky blonde head hiding in the back corner booth. He groaned softly, before quickly pulling Rin into the booth nearest to the door and farthest from the dragon slayer, nearly toppling the pair in his haste. Considering this was the only bar in town, Freed resigned himself to speaking softly and ignoring Laxus. He knew the pub was too noisy and Laxus would only be able to hear snippets of conversation unless he spoke loudly, which he did not plan on. Rin raised her eyebrows, smirking at Freed as they landed in the booth with a thud. Freed made a gesture pointing at the back of the pub. Rin’s eyes widened as she noticed the blonde head. She nodded quickly, leaning closer to Freed with a conspiratorial grin.

“That him?” She whispered, barely loud enough for Freed to hear over the music and chatter, glancing back again. Freed knew Laxus’s back was to them, but the glances still made him nervous. He gripped Rin’s arm, grabbing her attention once more.

“Yes. Don’t look. We’re not talking at the moment,” he whispered back. “Also, he’s a dragon slayer. He has incredible hearing, so stay quiet.” She nodded again, practically bouncing, not succeeding at this stealth game. A waiter came over and they both ordered their drinks. Rin ordered one for Tilly. Apparently, she only drinks one type of beer.

Speaking of, Freed glanced up as the door swung open revealing Tilly. She grinned at the pair and scooted into the booth beside Rin, across from Freed. Rin whispered something in Tilly’s ear. Freed couldn’t hear it, but knew what she said as soon as Tilly glanced backward toward Laxus. Freed blushed, crossing his arms. Both girls merely laughed at him.

“So, feel like telling us a tale?” Tilly asked, raising her eyebrows a few times and “subtly” shifting her eyes toward the back of the pub. Rin laughed, squeezing her side, causing Tilly to jump in her seat. Tilly swatted at Rin’s hand, pouting once more.

“You don’t have to,” Rin said, “but it might help.” She smiled softly, hand reaching out to squeeze Freed’s. He squeezed her hand in return before sighing and leaning back into the booth seat, his fingers slipping from her grasp.

“Where to start,” he mumbled, eyes glazing over as he thought about what to say. The waiter came back with their drinks and Freed grabbed his, taking a long drink, gulping harshly. Both girls sipped their drinks, waiting patiently. 

“He’s my best friend, has been since childhood. We were both lost and found a home in our guild,” he took another drink, smiling softly. Tilly and Rin leaned forward, trying to hear the story as Freed whispered, elbows on the table. “We made two other friends, Bixlow and Evergreen. Together, the three of us formed the Thunder Legion to protect Laxus, be his bodyguards since he’s a lightning dragon slayer. The three of us bonded quickly since we were all feared for our eyes.” Freed swept his bangs to the side, revealing his demon eye and earning a gasp from both girls.

“This is my demon eye,” he explained simply. “Evergreen has to wear glasses or she can turn someone into stone. Bixlow can control souls by looking into your eye.” Freed glanced at his companions. He laughed as they clung to every word, literally on the edge of their seats. “Needless to say, we formed a bond through our trauma, and they practically became my siblings. And as close as I am to those two, I’m even closer to Laxus. Though it never quite felt the same. He was always, and will always, remain my best friend. But I never thought of him the same way as I did the other two, something was always off.” Tilly nodded, bobbing her head quickly. Rin sipped her beer.

“At first, I thought it was a form of hero-worship,” he snorted. “I always praise Laxus, but that’s only because I believe in him with all my heart. I know he’s capable of making mistakes. Hell, I’ve followed him into the flames. But he’s a good person. I try to remind him of that whenever possible, because I know he doubts himself." Freed paused, running his fingers through his hair. 

He shook his head, smiling softly. "When I was younger, I chalked the strange feeling up to a disconnect between us. Despite being such good friends, we weren’t on the same page. To Laxus, it seemed like hero-worship. To me, it was so much more. I felt like he needed me to help him find the right path or stand by his side in hell, because Laxus was teetering between the two.” He paused, taking another long pull of his drink.

“It wasn’t until years later that I realized I loved him in a different way than I loved Ever and Bix.”Freed blushed despite himself. Both girls smiled encouragingly at him, caught up in the romance of it. “I’m ashamed to admit, I only realized my feelings when Laxus temporarily dated another guildmate. I didn’t speak to him for a week and spent the whole time practicing my fighting to release my frustration. I never told him though. He quickly broke off that relationship and as far as I know, hasn’t dated since. Things returned to normal. Eventually Ever and Bix discovered my secret, but that’s not important for this story.” Freed gulped his drink, finishing it. The next part was sure to be painful. Tilly and Rin eyed him in concern, but didn’t say anything. Freed waved down the waiter, ordering another drink.

He sighed deeply, idly twirling the ends of his hair. “A little over a month ago, my team went on a mission. We were sent to track down a dark guild that was harassing a village. When we arrived, we discovered that a woman had been tortured with a new form of runic magic, and was trying to find something I possessed to help her. She was fighting my team and I made a harsh decision. I used my demon powers to push my team away and trap myself in a runic box with the woman. I knew I was the only one who could help her, so I did.” Freed’s drink arrived and he quickly took another swig, wiping his mouth.

“I honestly thought I would die, so I told Laxus I love him.” Tilly gasped, hand covering her mouth. Rin’s eyes widened and she scooted forward. “I only had a vague grasp on the magic, so the toll it would take on me to use it was significant and unpredictable. Because of my runic barrier, none of my teammates could stop me. I don’t regret it. It was the right thing to do, but I ended up completely drained of magical energy and in a coma for a month.”

“Jeez, Freed, that’s scary,” Rin muttered, her hand clasping Freed’s once more. “We’re glad you’re okay.” Tilly nodded in agreement.

“Did he say anything? I bet he felt horrible watching you in pain and not being able to help.” Tilly asked, “subtly” glancing back at Laxus again. Rin laughed, grabbing her face and pulling it forward.

“No, but I know the answer,” he replied. His voice cracked slightly and he took a long drink, giving himself a chance to reign in his emotions. “I accidentally overheard him complaining about my confession to Bixlow, so I decided to take a solo job while I recover, both physically and emotionally.” Freed fiddled with his glass, wiping the condensation off the side. 

“But he followed me,” he growled slightly. “He said he was worried, but I told him I needed space. So we aren’t currently speaking. I think he plans on staying in town though,” Freed sighed, head dropping into his hand.

“Yeah,” Tilly grimaced, “he booked a room for the week. Sorry, hun,” she patted his arm consolingly. Freed sighed, head falling to the table with a slight thud.

“I thought I had prepared myself for the rejection, but I didn’t think it would hurt quite so much,” he mumbled into the table before sitting up and taking another swig of beer. The alcohol settled in his gut with a warm splash. Freed sighed contentedly as his cheeks warmed, a small buzz filling his senses.

“It’ll get better,” Rin whispered. “I was friends with a neighbor boy growing up. I loved him. He left,” she sipped her drink, sadness filling her eyes. “He met a girl on his travels and moved to the city to be with her. Hurt like hell,” she mumbled. “He knew how I felt. I think that’s why he initially started traveling. He didn’t know how to tell me the truth.”

“He was a jerk,” Tilly muttered, glaring at the table. Freed raised an eyebrow at her. “He was always so mean to you, Rin. I can’t believe you still don’t see that.” Rin scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“He was not,” she responded, glaring at her sister. Tilly mumbled something that neither of the other two could hear, kicking the table and pouting. “She wasn’t friends with him,” Rin settled on, squeezing Tilly’s leg and smiling at her. “But I’m mostly over him now. That was a few years ago. It doesn’t hurt so much anymore,” she flashed Freed a comforting smile, continuing to squeeze Tilly’s leg. “I know it’ll be harder, seeing him every day and all, but at least now you know how he truly feels. You don’t have to question yourself or him. You don’t have to imagine the what-ifs. You can try to move on.” Tilly smiled at her sister, leaning her head on her shoulder.

“Thanks, Rin.” Freed smiled, raising a glass to her. Both girls clinked his glass. The warmth spread through his body as he drank, the buzz more prominent now. 

“Now,” Tilly said, leaning forward. “Tell me about one of your more exciting missions.” Rin laughed, making a sweeping hand gesture and giving Freed the floor. He laughed, rolling his eyes. He launched into a tale about a couple of thieves hiding out in maze-like caves, how his team got completely lost, spending an extra day just wandering through the caves until they found them. The fight was rough and they were strong mages. Freed recounted the tale over another couple drinks, laughing and speaking more loudly. He was too drunk to notice Laxus glance his way as his words began to slur.

As his tale neared its end with Laxus fighting off a beast, soaking wet because of Bix, Tilly and Rin collapsed against one another in laughter, a bright smile on Freed’s face as he talked about his Thunder God. “That was an amazing story, Freed,” Tilly shouted, clinking her glass against his. “I can’t believe you had to eat a snake,” she stuck her tongue out and fake gagged. Freed laughed, finishing his drink.

As the laughter died down, Rin yawned, “I think I’m done for the night,” she laughed at her companions. “Ready for bed, Tils?” She asked. Her sister nodded, yawning as well. She smiled, waving the waiter over and they all paid their tabs. “Want to walk back with us, Freed?”

“I’d lo-.” Freed was cut off by a hulking shadow hovering at the edge of their table. He glanced up and locked eyes with Laxus, his heart pounding.

“No need, I’ve got him,” Laxus spoke gruffly, extending his hand toward Freed. He glanced at the two girls, raising an eyebrow at them and daring them to argue. Rin glanced at Freed.

“You two go on ahead,” Freed smiled at Rin, reaching out to clasp Laxus’s hand. Laxus tugged, dragging Freed to his feet. Freed stumbled and fell into Laxus, clinging desperately to his shirt as the world spun around him. Once the dizziness subsided, Freed moved to push off of Laxus, but the dragon slayer shifted so his arm was around Freed, holding him up. Freed waved unsteadily at Tilly and Rin as they smiled and ran off together. Freed laughed, drunk and happy from their conversations. He craned his neck to lock eyes with Laxus, but before he could, Laxus dragged him out of the pub and into the cool night air.


	19. Drunk Freed

Freed shivered as the harsh wind ghosted across his skin, realizing that he forgot his jacket. The frigid air cooled his blushed cheeks and goosebumps spread across his arms. Laxus pulled him closer, growling as Freed’s teeth chattered. “Why didn’t you bring your jacket?” He demanded, glaring down at the rune mage. Freed pouted, squinting his eyes and blinking rapidly as he tried to focus on Laxus’s face. He stumbled slightly, not watching his feet. Laxus heaved a sigh, righting Freed.

“I forgot it,” he mumbled, glancing down at his feet once more, wobbling in step with Laxus. He shivered again. Laxus grunted, rolling his eyes. He slowed his pace slightly, grip tightening as he ran his hand over Freed’s skin, the standing hairs tickling his palm.

“Idiot,” Laxus muttered, brushing Freed’s long, wispy green hair behind his ear. Freed glared at Laxus, bottom lip jutting out, eyes flitting across his Thunder God’s face. He sighed, actively avoiding Freed’s indignation. Moments passed as Freed’s mind caught up with Laxus’s actions, his features dissolving into furrowed brows and a frown.

“Why did you come here?” Freed slurred, tilting his head and bumping into him. Laxus raked a hand through his hair, eyes flashing around the street.

“I told you, I was worried.” Freed swayed, accidentally pulling away from Laxus. The dragon slayer gripped Freed’s side tighter, dragging him back in. “Apparently, I had good reason to.” He sighed, lifting Freed’s chin to look him in the eye. “Why are you drunk, Freed? You never drink.” Freed’s eyes watered, despite the alcohol numbing his emotions and sensations. He harshly tore his chin from Laxus’s grip, glaring at the ground.

“It’s none of your business. I can drink if I want to,” he pouted. Laxus’s bark of laughter startled Freed. Freed glared at the floor, jaw clenching.

“You’re acting like a toddler,” Laxus chuckled. Upon seeing Freed’s hurt expression though, Laxus quieted down. “Sorry,” he muttered. He gripped Freed’s chin once more, “really, Freed, why were you drinking?” He asked softly, concern deep in his eyes.

“I didn’t want to feel anything, just for one night,” he whispered, eyes locked on Laxus’s. “It hurts too much,” he mumbled, pulling away from Laxus’s grip and glancing at the ground again.

“Freed, I’m sor-,” Laxus cut off as Freed harshly pushed away from him, stumbling several feet and crashing against a trash can before emptying his guts. 

“Dammit,” Laxus cussed, rushing over to hold Freed, one arm snaking around his waist, the other pulling his long, green hair back. Freed spent several minutes curled over the trash can, stomach heaving. When the nausea quelled, he leaned back into Laxus’s chest, remembering why he never drinks. Laxus braced himself, allowing Freed to lean his whole weight against his chest. He pulled the hair tie from Freed’s wrist, using both hands to messily pull his friend’s hair into a bun. He knew Freed would be ashamed with his attempt, but he’d be more ashamed if he vomited on his hair.

With Freed’s hair tied back, Laxus scooped the rune mage into his arms, walking swiftly toward the hotel. “If you feel sick again, tell me,” he muttered, pulling Freed closer as the rune mage shivered. 

Freed mumbled incoherently into Laxus's shoulder, but otherwise remained immobile. His eyes shifted across the street, watching the trees sway in the breeze. His eyebrows crinkled as he spyed movement in the foliage. He squinted his eyes, trying to focus against the drunken haze, barely making out a dark figure in the woods before Laxus shifted his hold on the rune mage, Freed's head falling against Laxus's chest. Freed blinked tiredly, glazed eyes examining Laxus's frown.

It only took Laxus a couple of minutes to cross the town, clutching Freed tightly with one arm as he pulled the inn’s door open with the other. He nodded briefly at Tilly and Rin as he passed, both girls sprawled on a couch and laughing. They stared, wide-eyed as he carried Freed up the stairs to his room. He heard their echoing giggles and gossip as he climbed the stairs and groaned.

He set Freed gently on the ground, one arm still around him, steadying the rune mage. The other fished through Freed’s pockets, looking for the key to his room. Freed’s head lolled to the side, slumping onto his shoulder. Laxus grunted, pulling the keys free and opening the door. 

He dragged the rune mage over to the bed, holding Freed steady as he let him fall gently onto the mattress. Laxus smiled as Freed crossed his arms over his eyes, shielding himself from the bright white lights. He leaned down, untying Freed’s laces and plucking his boots off, neatly setting them upright by the door, as Freed normally would. 

Laxus walked into the bathroom, grabbing his now-dry jacket off the hook and sliding it on. He glanced around, spotting a stack of folded washcloths on the counter. After wetting one, he walked back into the room to find Freed’s eyes on him, watching his every movement like a hawk, despite his drooping eyelids. Laxus cleared his throat, crossing the room and sitting rigidly on the bed beside Freed. He glanced down, avoiding meeting Freed’s eyes as he wiped the rune mage’s mouth and face.

He tossed the dirty rag into the laundry hamper in the bathroom, barely making the shot. He cleared his throat again, scratching his head. Laxus peered around the room. He stood abruptly, striding over to the minifridge in the corner, kneeling down and opening the door. He pulled out a bottled water, unscrewing the cap as he crossed over to sit by Freed once more.

“Drink it,” he ordered, shoving the water toward Freed with one hand, the other lifting him into a half-sitting position. Freed glared, complying. He drank half the bottle before rolling out of Laxus’s grasp, landing on the bed with a thump and a groan. Laxus chuckled, capping the bottle and placing it on the nightstand. He drew the sheets back, helping Freed under them and tucking him in with a sigh.

Freed eyed the dragon slayer, unsteadily reaching a hand out, fingers ghosting his cheek. “I love you,” Freed sighed. Laxus’s eyes snapped to meet blue as a blush crept across his skin, warming Freed’s fingertips. His jaw tightened, blinking rapidly as he leaned into Freed’s touch momentarily before slipping from his grasp. “I’ll never apologize for loving you, Laxus,” Freed whispered, curling onto his side, eyes drifting closed. 

Laxus clenched his fists, eyes watering. “Idiot,” he mumbled, leaning down and kissing Freed on the forehead as his snores echoed throughout the room.


	20. Interrupted Routines

Freed woke the next morning with a pounding headache, scrunching his eyes shut against the blinding light of the sun. He groaned, burying his face into the pillow. 

A knock at the door startled his jumbled mind as he flung himself up, moaning against the pain and sinking his head onto his knees. 

“Freed?” Tilly called, knocking again. “Are you awake yet?” Freed sighed, trying to block out the throbbing headache as he sat forward, swinging his feet off the edge of the bed. He stumbled to the door, rubbing his weary eyes.

“What time is it?” He mumbled, pulling the door open to reveal a chipper Tilly smiling at his bedhead. The hair tie hung loosely over a small clump of hair, most of his green locks swaying freely. He glared at her smile, feeling miserable.

“Time to get up,” Tilly ruffled his hair with a grin, tangling it further. Freed pouted. “I brought you a hangover smoothie, made fresh by yours truly. It helps settle the booze belly the next day,” she shoved a drink toward Freed, who barely had time to grasp it with his tired fingers. “Oh, and I almost forgot,” she leaned forward, pressing her cool fingers into his temples, muttering. The pain in his head receded to a dull pressure. He groaned in relief, smiling at her.

“You’re a gift from heaven, Tilly, I swear it,” he grinned, sipping the fruity drink.

“And you’re in dire need of a shower,” she smirked, noses scrunching, eyes roaming the disheveled rune mage. Freed blushed, coughing slightly. He glared at her, sipping his smoothie.

“And I’m too thankful to truly show you my wraith,” he whispered eerily, his demon eye glowing through his bangs. Tilly laughed, shoving him slightly. Not the response Freed usually got. He pouted.

“You’re about as terrifying as a kitten,” she chuckled. “Especially after last night,” she wiggled her eyebrows at Freed. “I saw the lurker carry you off to bed like a damsel in distress,” she giggled. “What happened?”

Freed groaned, eyes closing in embarrassment as he remembered snippets of the night. “He took care of me when I was sick and helped me to bed,” he said. Tilly smirked, one eyebrow quirked. “Then he left” Freed shut her down. “Nothing happened,” he said, voice firm. Tilly pouted, sighing dramatically.

“Well, that stinks.” She backed up into the hallway. “I gotta head to work though. My shift starts in a few minutes. Rin wanted me to tell you to meet her at the library in an hour. So shower, stinky, then come down for breakfast,” she teased, laughing as she jogged down the hallway. Freed grinned at her retreating form, shaking his head.

Freed made short work of showering and dressing, frowning at Laxus’s missing jacket. He shook the thoughts of Laxus from his mind, intent on truly committing to a break from his dragon slayer. He sighed, making his way down to breakfast. Tilly was nowhere to be found as he ate, however, and Freed assumed she was preparing rooms or cleaning.

He met Rin at the library shortly after. “Good morning, Rin,” he greeted, stopping next to the bookcase she was organizing. “Did you sleep well enough?” He smiled softly, content from breakfast.

“Alright," she shrugged. "Some guys were fighting in the middle of the night, out on the street. Probably drunk. Woke me up arguing about their brother," she rolled her eyes, waving her hand dismissively. "How'd you sleep though?” She grinned, lifting one eyebrow, but not pressing him for answers as Tilly had.

“Splendidly. But liquor will do that to you,” he sighed, more flashes of the night coming back to him. “Before you ask, no, nothing happened. He took care of me, then he left. End of story.” Freed tried to hide the bitterness swirling in his gut, but it crept through despite his best efforts. Rin frowned, eyebrows drawn in. She clasped Freed’s hand and pulled him into a hug. He smiled, wrapping his arms around her.

“Thank you,” he whispered. She pulled away, grinning at the blushing rune mage.

“That’s what friends are for,” she stated, smiling at Freed and wiping the water from his eyes before the tears could spill. “Now, time for work,” she laughed, dragging him through the aisles. “I want to finish cleaning this section today,” she gestured at a couple of tall shelves. “Do you mind helping before going back to sorting?”

“Your wish is my command,” he bowed in jest, earning a grin from his companion.

The next several days passed with a comforting routine. Freed had breakfast with Tilly most mornings, unless she was preparing rooms. He helped Rin clean shelves for an hour as they chatted before heading back to the basement to sort the books. He finished sorting everything after the third day, then began the arduous process of shelving them by the system the pair developed. Freed recorded each book as Rin placed it on the shelf. They worked well together, efficiently. After work, he enjoyed dinner with both Rin and Tilly. Most evenings they spent conversing until the late night. Freed would flop into bed and dream of Laxus.

The routine eased Freed’s mind. It helped knowing that Laxus was keeping his promise. He caught glimpses of the dragon slayer every day, but Laxus kept his distance. Freed felt eyes on him the entire time, but that comforted him more than he was willing to admit. Despite the sharp ache in his heart every time he saw Laxus out of the corner of his eye, he enjoyed the space. He enjoyed the time to come to grips with his emotions, while also knowing Laxus was within reach, if need be. It allowed him time to rewrite his role in Laxus’s life based around his friendship, not his love. It hurt like hell, though, so Freed was grateful to have Tilly and Rin as a comfort every day. 

“I believe we only have one more day worth of work,” Freed gestured at the small pile of books stacked next to the seven remaining shelves. 

Rin grinned at him, nodding. “We’ll finish two days ahead of schedule.” 

The smile slipped from Freed’s face. “Maybe we could drag it out?” He begged, eyes pleading. 

Rin laughed, rolling her eyes. “Sorry, Freed, but the people want their library back. Besides, you have to face him sooner or later.” Freed groaned making Rin laugh.

“Please, don’t remind me.” Freed sat back, leaning against a bookshelf and admiring the exhausting day’s work. Rin sat next to him, clasping his hand.

“It’ll be okay,” she smiled, squeezing his fingers. “You’ve come so far this week.”

“Yes, but I still fear his reaction. I’m unsure of his intentions. Is he abiding by my request for space or did I anger him while drunk and simply don't remember?” His brows furrowed, deep in thought.

“Don’t be silly,” Rin laughed. “He may not love you the way you want him to, but he does love you in his own way.” Freed locked eyes with her, contemplating her words. “I could tell when he carried you to bed that first night. He looked at you with love.” Freed blushed, glancing away.

They sat in silence for several minutes before Rin stood, dragging Freed with her. “Come on, lover boy. Let’s get some dinner,” she smiled, pulling Freed out the doors.

Rin locked the library doors, humming softly. Freed grinned, content in the chilly darkness, the moon shining through the clouds. They crossed the street toward the inn to pick up Tilly. The melodic humming of Rin filled the quiet night air. Freed sighed, a flutter settling in his gut as he felt a pair of eyes watching him. Normally, that comforted him, recognizing Laxus’s gaze, but the nervous fluttering never left his gut. He paused, gripping Rin. They stopped in the street as Freed glanced around, his other hand reaching for his sword.

“Rin, something’s wrong,” he whispered, pulling her closer. She noticed his hand on the hilt of his sword and her eyes widened before frantically scanning the shadows.

Freed peered through the darkness, pausing at every shadowed hiding place, trying to feel for a presence with his magical energy. The eyes on him prickled his skin, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on edge. He couldn’t detect anyone. He breathed deeply, turning slowly and scanning the darkness further. Rin stepped closer, her hands shaking. He cautiously stepped forward, toward the inn and Rin, eyes focused on the shadows, watching for any movement.

They were several paces away from the inn still. Freed contemplated his options, his main priority was keeping Rin safe. “Rin?” he whispered, claiming her attention. He frowned at the fear in her eyes. She nodded, listening. “When I say to,” he spoke softly, deliberately, eyes returning to his surroundings, “I want you to run to the inn and lock the door.”

Rin opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off by Freed shouting, “go!” and pushing her toward the inn. She stumbled, but quickly righted herself and sprinted toward the inn. She glanced back to see Freed draw his sword, eyes on her. She pulled the door open, hesitating.

“Go, Rin!” Freed shouted, his demon eye glowing behind his hair. Rin nodded shakily, slamming the door shut, a faint click of the lock echoing through the quiet streets. He saw her head poke out behind a curtain several seconds later, Tilly beside her. He sighed in relief, returning his focus to the darkness pressing in on him.

He turned slowly on the spot, checking all sides. A figure emerged from the darkness, casually walking toward him. Freed didn’t recognize the man, familiar with most of the townsfolk by now. His gut clenched, but he pushed his emotions to the side, taking a defensive stance. The man continued walking toward him, unnerving Freed. He swallowed harshly, waving the tip of his sword and preparing runes.

“Who are you?” Freed asked, voice even. The man didn’t answer. Freed stepped back as the man approached, his body elongating in an inhuman way. Easily eight feet tall by now, only a few feet away, and the man kept growing. Freed gripped his sword tighter, his palms sweating. His jaw clenched as he felt an unfamiliar fear coursing through his body at the stretching humanoid. “What do you want?” Freed demanded, taking another step back. He glared at the figure, his demon eye glowing brightly against the pulsing darkness.

"Dark Ecriture: Suff-," Freed shouted, cut off as hands gripped his shoulders from behind, drawing him backward with a thud into a warm body, the breath escaping his lungs. He tried to pull free of the grip, but the fingers dug in further, burrowing into his skin. Freed slashed back blindly with his sword. He hastily wrote runes in the air with his left hand, fingers trembling. The surprise opponent's fingers pushed harshly downward and Freed felt weightless for a startling moment before the wind was knocked out of him as he landed on his back. A face, twisted in anger with piercing black eyes, peered at him, hovering a few inches above his face. Freed tried to roll away from the second man, but two hands grabbed his shoulders again.

The black-eyed man leaned back, brandishing a knife. In one swift motion, he drew the blade across his skin, flaking off pieces. The spores settled in the air, unmoving. The man grinned, blowing the particles at him. Freed stumbled backward, coughing on the spores. His head lolled back until he glimpsed the hulking figure once more. He blinked at the pair and the black-eyed man clapped his hands together once. Freed felt his mind fade as he succumbed to the darkness.


	21. The Choice

Freed blinked groggily, head flopped to the side. He swallowed, sitting up straighter. He glanced down at his bound hands, his fingers strapped together. His sword was still sheathed at his side. No runes, he sighed. Clearly the attackers knew Freed. He peered around, noticing that he was in a giant tent, on a cot. He groaned, lungs burning from the attacker’s spores. He tried to take in any other clues, but the tent was devoid of much else. Only a couple of chairs and another cot. There was a backpack in the corner, but it had no noticeable markings on it. Freed growled, head falling back. The fact that Tilly and Rin were absent comforted Freed though. They were at least safe, he thought tiredly.

Freed listened intently for voices or footsteps, hearing none. He rose shakily to his feet, but a weakness settled in his limbs. He wobbled, falling back onto the cot, breathing heavily. Freed dozed off, woken in an hour by a booming voice in the distance. He heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh as a scuffle broke out. Freed rolled his eyes. After a few minutes, the two men entered the tent, panting. “Having fun?” Freed asked dryly. The smaller, black-eyed man startled, jumping back. The tall man glared at his friend.

“Knock it off, Turek,” the tall man boomed, slapping his companion. “And shut it, mage,” he growled at Freed. Freed merely raised an eyebrow, turning his nose up at the man.

“Fuck you, Scrill,” Turek shouted, glaring at the other man. Scrill rolled his eyes, focusing on Freed. He sat, long limbs tangling, beside Freed, staring at the rune mage. Freed’s stomach squirmed at the scrutiny, but he remained stony-faced. Turek pulled a chair over and sat next to his companion, arms crossed.

“How long before your friend comes for you?” Scrill asked, eyes piercing Freed’s.

“I don’t know who you’re referring to, you’ll have to be more specific,” Freed said, smirking. Scrill swiftly punched Freed in the gut, his long limb surprisingly nimble. Freed glared at him, coughing.

“Stop playing games,” Scrill growled, gripping Freed’s hair and tugging, “the lightning mage. How long?” Freed’s heartbeat quickened, his palms sweating. He tried to calm his racing heart, knowing these men wouldn’t stand a chance of fighting Laxus. He took a deep breath and laughed despite the seizing panic in his gut. Scrill drew back in surprise, releasing Freed.

“I’m sure he’s already coming.” Freed’s dark laugh echoed against the tent walls. “You’re both dead.” Freed grinned, head tilting to the side as his eyes darkened. Turek scuttled backward as Freed’s bangs parted, his demon eye shining brightly in the darkened tent. “Your only hope is to release me, unharmed, and perhaps Laxus will spare your lives.”

“Turek, do it,” Scrill yelled, slapping the smaller man in the back of the head, pushing him toward Freed. Turek shook, stepping closer. He repeated the same motions as before, scraping some scaly spores off his skin with the knife, this time his left arm. Freed noticed the minuscule mushrooms growing from his skin and grimaced. Turek collected the spores, blowing them into Freed’s face. He sneezed, inhaling the spores. His heart raced again at the prospect of unconsciousness, but instead of drowsiness, Freed felt completely fine. His eyebrows knotted together as he glanced at the two mages, his demon eye still eerily lit.

“Confused?” Scrill chuckled, tilting his head. “These spores are different. The last ones were made to knock you out. They were activated with a clap. These spores are sitting in your body, ready to kill you on Turek’s command,” he grinned widely at Freed. Freed recoiled, coughing frantically to try and remove the spores.

“That won’t work,” Turek said, “that’ll only make them burrow deeper.” Freed’s eyes widened as he turned his head away, mouth scrunched in disgust. His heart clenched the hair on the back of his neck prickling.

“Accept your fate, mage,” Scrill muttered, “it’ll make this easier.” He stood, moving away from Freed and huddling into the corner, presumably to wait for Laxus. Freed’s heart pounded painfully, his jaw clenching. Turek sighed, moving to the other side of the room, across from Scrill. Several minutes passed in silence as the two men kept watch. 

“What do you want with me?” Freed asked, but received no answer. They were lying in wait for their prey.

Freed begged whatever gods may be to keep Laxus away, but the distant roar of thunder pulled all hope from him. The storm raged, thunder rolling closer in waves. The two men tensed, standing and moving beside Freed. Turek held a knife to his throat, but Freed knew that was a rouse. They could kill him in a heartbeat.

Lightning crackled just outside the tent door, the brightness illuminating the yellow interior. The flaps tore open as Laxus raged in with no hesitation. He stopped inside the doorway, fists clenched as he surveyed the room. “Freed,” he whispered, locking eyes with the rune mage. 

“Laxus, don’t come any closer, they have deadly spores,” Freed warned, the breath rushing from his burning lungs. Turek pressed the knife deeper in warning. Laxus eyed the knife pressed against Freed’s throat. He growled, lightning crashing around the tent. “Let him go.” Laxus knuckles cracked, magical energy pooling against his palms. He took a menacing step forward, despite Freed’s warning.

“We can’t do that,” Scrill said, speaking slowly, his limbs extending even further, nearly nine feet tall now. “You need to pay for your crimes,” he boomed, face contorted in anger.

“What crimes?” Freed asked, eyes trained fixedly on the dragon slayer. He gulped, the knife pressing into his skin as he swallowed.

“He hurt our brother,” Turek shouted, pointing a finger at Laxus. “His lightning ran him off the road. He’s barely alive, and even now he might die,” Turek cried out, blinking furiously.

Laxus’s eyes widened as he glanced guiltily at Freed. Freed’s heart sank, eyebrows drawn together.

“Laxus?” Freed asked, eyes pleading. Laxus looked down, he couldn’t face Freed.

“I was angry at you for leaving. I couldn’t control my lightning,” Laxus muttered, cheeks red. “I saw a carriage approaching. I thought I was far enough away, but I guess not.” Laxus glared at the tent floor, fists clenching. “I didn’t know,” he whispered, finally looking at Freed and finding only understanding.

“It was an accident,” Freed stated. He glanced at the two mages, mouth quirked to the side in thought. “Please, Laxus didn’t mean to hurt your brother, it was an accident.” He tried to reason with them, but knew it was unlikely to work.

“I don’t care,” Scrill shouted, slamming his fist into the empty chair next to Freed. “My brother is in the hospital because of you,” he yelled at Laxus, glaring at the lightning mage.

“Please,” Laxus begged, “let Freed go, he isn’t a part of this.” Freed’s eyes widened, heart clenching.

“He is a part of this,” Scrill grinned, “because you care about him.” Laxus’s jaw clenched rhythmically. “You see, he currently has some spores floating around his lungs, settling into other parts of his body. If Turek here snaps his fingers, those spores will kill him.” 

Laxus growled, lightning pouring over his skin, sinking into his bones. He glared at Scrill, fists clenched. “You hurt Freed, and I’ll kill you,” Laxus threatened, voice low and gravelly.

“Laxus,” Freed warned, but it fell on deaf ears.

“I don’t doubt it,” Scrill laughed. “But you see, you’re faced with a choice, lightning mage.” He grinned wickedly. “For your crimes, we’re going to damn your soul.” Laxus scoffed, rolling his eyes. Scrill gritted his teeth. “You don’t quite understand your predicament, brute!” He shouted, eyes blazing. Turek jolted at the shout, the knife softly sliding against Freed’s throat. Freed gulped, leaning away from the blade.

Laxus cracked his knuckles. “I don’t give a damn about my soul, so let Freed go.” He snarled, teeth bared.

“You need to choose,” Scrill growled. “At this moment, the same spores residing in Freed’s lungs are dormant in every villager as well.” Freed gasped, eyes widening. Laxus growled, jaw clenching. “This is your choice, Laxus. You may save Freed, or you may save the town.” Scrill cackled, grinning at Turek. “Either way, you will be sentencing someone to death and your soul will be damned to hell for murder.”


	22. Raging Bolt

“I already told you, I don’t give a damn about my soul,” Laxus growled, stepping forward. “All I care about is Freed, so let him go,” he boomed, lightning ripping the side of the tent, startling the two men. It cracked and flowed over Laxus’s skin, bright white and menacing as it sunk into his fingertips. His fists clenched as he prepared a lightning attack, shifting his stance.

“Ah,” Scrill spoke slowly. “You care about Freed’s soul then, hmm?” He asked, grinning widely. Laxus tensed, hesitating in his attack as he glanced at the rune mage. “I’ll take that as a yes. In that case, if you don’t make the choice, Freed will,” he cackled. Turek pressed the knife deeper into Freed’s neck, drawing a drop of blood at the tip. Laxus growled, taking half a step forward.

“Laxus, don’t do this,” Freed pleaded, watery eyes watching Laxus rake a hand through his hair. Lightning struck all around the tent in waves, rhythmically, like a heartbeat. “Don’t listen to them, they’re going to kill me regardless. Don’t choose, Laxus, please.” Freed whispered, voice cracking.

Laxus started pacing, hand moving through his hair again, the blonde locks sticking straight up from the electricity. He growled, lightning crashing, ripping another hole in the tent.

“Calm down,” Scrill boomed, “and make your choice!” He took a menacing step forward, leaning over Laxus, his head brushing the top of the tent.

“I-,” Laxus hesitated, glancing back at Freed, eyes watering. “Fuck,” he shouted, lightning shooting out from him in small bursts. He breathed heavily, glancing around the room frantically. “I choose-.”

“No!” Freed yelled, ripping away from Turek, the knife sliding over his neck and leaving a deep gash in the side. Blood dripped down his neck, staining his jacket. He pressed his palm awkwardly into the wound with his bound hands, trying to stop the bleeding as he stumbled away.

“You idiot,” Laxus shouted, rushing to grab Freed, lightning striking in a sphere around them, his hand pushed against the wound as well. Freed fell to his knees in front of Laxus, eyes wide. Laxus laid him down, ripping the sheet off the cot and wrapping it tightly around the gash, hands shaking. His lightning covered fist slammed into Turek as he moved toward the pair, knocking the man back several feet. Laxus pushed Freed’s hands back over the wound, glancing behind him at the two men, ready to continue protecting Freed. Turek landed on his back with a thud, breathing deeply, rising again on shaky legs.

“You fools,” Scrill shouted, elongating his body and towering over the pair, head crooked against the roof of the tent. Laxus tensed, collecting lightning in his palm and preparing another attack. “Not so fast,” Scrill spoke quickly, causing Laxus to hesitate. “With a snap of the fingers, Freed dies.” He grinned, moving in front of Turek.

Laxus’s eyes darkened. “Not if I kill you first,” he said, voice low. He lunged forward, lightning covering his fist as he punched Scrill in the stomach. Scrill flew backward, landing on Turek with a thud, both men falling to the floor. Turek and Scrill laid, a pile of tangled limbs, as they tried to overcome the paralyzing effect of the lightning. “You will pay for hurting Freed,” he said darkly, eyes red. Laxus bowed his head, taking a deep breath.

“Resounding through the air, the roar of thunder, plunge from the heavens and reap destruction,” Laxus whispered, electricity encircling his body. Freed gasped. He raised his fist into the air, lightning gathered around his knuckles. “Dragon Slayer: Raging Bolt,” he shouted. A large sphere of lightning descended from the heavens, striking the two men in front of him. The dragon slayer dropped to his knees as the light faded, breathing heavily. He hastily turned back to Freed, checking the rune mage with trembling fingers.

“Laxus,” Freed said, voice gravelly. “I think the bleeding stopped, but I’ve lost a lot of blood.” He pulled his hands away from his neck to reveal the bloody cloth, eyes drooping as he breathed heavily. Laxus pulled it away from Freed’s skin briefly, peeking underneath.

“Yeah, it stopped,” Laxus muttered, pulling the bloody piece of cloth off of Freed’s neck and tying a clean strip around the wound. He gripped Freed’s chin, sighing as they locked eyes. “Why did you do that?” He whispered. His eyebrows scrunched and he frowned, eyes watering.

“I couldn’t let you choose,” Freed hesitated, drawing a deep breath, voice rough, “because I know it would be me.” Tears filled his eyes. “Yet, I deserve death far more than any villager,” he said. His voice was low and guttural from the wound. He reached out, clasping Laxus’s fingers and pulling them to his cheek. “You may not care about your soul, but I do.” He glanced down, tears spilling over his lashes, eyelids fluttering closed. Laxus brushed them away with his thumbs.

“Idiot,” Laxus muttered, tucking Freed’s hair behind his ears. 

Both men jolted as the attackers started coughing behind them. Laxus stood, facing his opponent’s once more. He raised one eyebrow, watching as spores floated through the air, covering Turek and Scrill. Protection spores, Freed thought hazily.

“Big mistake,” Scrill coughed, his whole body aching and numb from the attack. He glanced at Turek and nodded. “Now say goodbye to your precious Freed,” he hissed, laughing as Turek raised his fingers and snapped.

For a long, agonizing second, nothing happened. Laxus spun, dropping beside Freed, examining him from head to toe. The piercing scream of Freed seconds later rung through Laxus’s ears, his heart pounding. He gripped Freed’s shoulders, a deep panic seizing his heart. “What’s wrong?” he shouted, eyes frantically roaming Freed’s body, but the rune mage continued screaming, gripping his stomach. Laxus lifted Freed’s jacket, but saw no injury. His hands shook. “Freed, come on, tell me what’s wrong, dammit.” He yelled, gripping Freed’s face and forcing eye contact. His gut clenched as he saw an emptiness settle in Freed’s eyes. The screaming stopped.

“What did you do to him?” Laxus roared, turning and lunging at his opponents. Electricity swirled around his body, pulsing over his arms. “Lightning Dragons Roar,” he shouted, a beam of lightning erupting from his mouth, blasting Scrill and Turek, sending them flying backward. Both men landed in a pile, limbs tangled, spores blanketing the attack again and lessening the damage. Without giving them time to recover though, Laxus continued his attack, lightning shredding the tent.

A soft groan from Freed brought Laxus crashing back to reality, his fist colliding with Scrill’s jaw. He gazed down at the bloody, bruised bodies of the two attackers. He checked their pulses, fingers trembling. Relief filled him at their faint heartbeats. They would live. Freed wouldn’t have forgiven him if he had killed them. He turned back to Freed, dropping beside him once more.

Freed’s eyelids fluttered as he reached weakly toward Laxus, but his hand dropped just short of his target, grasping only air. Laxus ran a hand through Freed’s hair, cupping his cheek. “Fuck,” he breathed. “Stay with me, Freed.” He lifted the rune mage into his arms. “Please,” his voice broke. He clutched Freed tight against his body as he ran back to the village, the storm raging around them.


	23. Healing

Freed stirred, a harsh wind blowing against his face. He shivered, opening his eyes and hazily peering around. Trees flitted by, too quickly for him to make sense of anything though. A warmth surrounding his body lulled him back to rest.

Freed stirred, eyes blinking slowly against a bright light. Seconds later, the light disappeared. Freed sighed, moving his head and glancing at the warmth. Laxus. Safe, Freed thought, darkness pulling him back in once more.

Freed stirred, woken by a dull thud, the warmth vanishing, replaced by a cool, springy surface. He pulled his eyes open, fighting the exhaustion, trying to grasp what happened and where he was. His eyes roamed the room, not focusing on anything, his mind not processing his surroundings. Laxus’s face appeared above him, jolting the rune mage. Freed’s eyebrows scrunched as he blinked at the lightning mage.

“Freed, can you hear me?” Laxus’s voice echoed around his mind, but he couldn’t make sense of the words. “Stay with me,” he continued, eyes watering. Freed blinked, looking away, not comprehending. A sharp pain in his gut pulled him back into unconsciousness.

Freed stirred, taking a deep breath, the pain gone. He laid still for a moment, exhausted. He dragged his eyes open, scanning the room for Laxus. His eyes landed on the sleeping dragon slayer, curled into a chair beside his bed. Freed sighed, glancing around the room, trying to piece together any information. The room was unfamiliar, but hospital-like, and smelled of herbal medicine. Freed scrunched his nose, looking back at Laxus.

Freed remembered glimpses of the fight, his hands immediately seeking his wounded neck. He barely noticed Laxus’s hand clasped around his own as he pulled his fingers free. Freed grazed his fingertips over the bandages wrapped around his neck, his fingers trembling. Laxus stirred beside him, waking up from Freed’s movements. Laxus groaned, eyes closed as he stretched his back.

“How-,” Freed began, stopping short as his throat throbbed, his voice gravelly. Laxus’s eyes shot up at Freed’s voice. He leaned toward him, brushing the rune mage’s hair back and pulling him into a tight embrace. Freed sat stunned, hands instinctively wrapping around Laxus and returning the gesture.

“Fucking finally,” Laxus breathed into Freed’s neck, hand moving to Freed’s hair, holding him in place. Freed’s eyes fluttered closed and he sighed deeply, leaning into Laxus.

“What-,” Freed coughed. “What,” he paused, swallowing harshly, “happened?” He asked, voice like sandpaper. Laxus’s grip tightened momentarily before he pulled back, hands resting on Freed’s shoulders.

“That asshole shredded your stomach with his spores,” Laxus growled, jaw clenching. “But Tilly healed you enough to get you to a hospital.” Laxus leaned back, sitting in his chair as he eyed Freed. 

Freed nodded, trying to remember more. “How,” he cleared his throat, “long?” He asked, wincing at the pain.

Laxus raked a hand through his hair. “Two days. Want me to get the healer to help with the pain?” He asked, eyebrows scrunched in concern. Freed nodded, smiling faintly.

Laxus stood, striding across the room and pressing a button on the wall. He sat beside Freed again. “How’s your stomach? The healer repaired most of the damage, but you’ll have a strict diet for a couple of months.” Laxus continued, reaching out and clasping Freed’s hand. Freed smiled, staring at their entwined fingers.

“As of this moment,” he ground out slowly, jaw clenching, “there’s no pain in my stomach.” Freed coughed between words and Laxus frowned.

“Sorry, try not to talk until the healer sees you,” Laxus said, squeezing Freed’s fingers. Laxus leaned back into his chair, watching the rune mage. “Tilly and Rin will be happy to see you,” he said. Freed nodded, smiling brightly. “They seem like good friends,” Laxus continued, filling the silence to distract Freed from the pain. “Maybe they can visit the guild sometime. We could show ‘em around,” Laxus said. Freed nodded again, enthusiastically, grinning at Laxus.

A knock on the door grabbed both men’s attention. A moment later, the healer stepped in. She wore a white cloak, striding into the room with a smile. Freed coughed, her perfume irritating his throat.

“Throat hurting?” She asked, stepping close and pulling the bandages away to check the wound. Freed nodded, holding his breath against her perfume. She leaned back, lifting his shirt to push on his stomach. “Any pain here?” She asked sweetly, glancing at him. Freed shook his head, taking a breath as she pulled away momentarily. She nodded to herself, jotting notes on a pad of paper. When she finished, she moved over, cool fingers touching Freed’s neck. He felt the thrum of healing magic coursing through his throat, cooling the inside. He swallowed, the pain lessening. 

“That’s about all I can do,” she said, pulling away from Freed. “I’ll send some herbal medicine with you. Take it before every meal, following the nutritional notes I left. Any questions?” She asked, receiving a shake of the head from Freed. She jotted a couple more notes on the paper. “In that case, let me get your medicine ready, then you can go,” she smiled kindly at Freed, patting his knee briefly before walking out. Freed coughed, dramatically releasing a breath, receiving a raised eyebrow from Laxus.

“Perfume,” Freed chuckled, coughing again. Laxus nodded, fidgeting with his hands. Freed watched him, eyebrows scrunching. “Laxus?” He asked.

Laxus sighed, moving forward and clasping Freed’s hand again. “You have to stop being a hero, Freed. You’re gonna get yourself killed,” he said, eyes serious and pleading. Freed’s mouth quirked to the side, he glanced away.

“I couldn’t let them drive you to murder, Laxus. Not after everything you’ve done to heal your soul and right your mistakes,” Freed said, speaking slowly as he allowed his throat time to recover. He swallowed harshly, staring at their joined hands with a frown. “You are a good person. You don’t deserve it,” Freed’s eyes watered. He traced his thumb over Laxus’s hand.

“Dammit, Freed,” Laxus muttered. “Neither do you,” he said, gripping Freed’s chin with his free hand and forcing eye contact. “You are a good person too, don’t you know that?” He whispered, brushing his thumb across Freed’s cheek.

“Laxus,” Freed said, eyes wide. He blinked rapidly, eyes watering. “I’m sorry,” he sighed, leaning into Laxus’s palm, eyes drifting shut.

Laxus watched Freed, eyes soft and searching. “I’m sorry too,” he muttered, clearing his throat and blushing.

“What on earth are you apologizing for?” Freed asked, eyebrows scrunching as he opened his eyes, gazing at the dragon slayer. He tilted his head, unintentionally leaning further into Laxus’s palm.

“For not telling you sooner,” Laxus said, taking a deep breath, “how much I love you, you idiot.”


	24. Finally

Freed was momentarily offended by the insult, glaring at Laxus until his words sunk in. His eyes widened, mouth dropping open. “You- what?” He stuttered, staring at the lightning mage.

Laxus rolled his eyes, huffing. “I love you too,” he muttered, glancing away, cheeks tinted pink. He coughed, clearing his throat and releasing Freed’s face. Freed’s heart clenched, his eyes watering again. “I know. I should have told you,” Laxus said, face downcast. He raked his hand through his hair, sighing.

“You love me?” Freed asked faintly, blinking rapidly. “You love me?” He repeated, trailing off and fidgeting with the blanket in a daze.

“Yeah,” Laxus mumbled, still not looking at Freed, scratching his head.

“I thought,” Freed said, shaking his head. He paused, eyes wandering the room as he tried to make sense of what Laxus said. “I thought you were scared. I thought you hated the fact that I love you,” Freed said, tugging at the blanket. Laxus’s head shot up, locking eyes with a startled Freed.

“How could you possibly think that?” Laxus asked, brows drawn together. Freed was shocked by the genuine confusion. Laxus was oblivious, apparently. Freed sighed, falling back into the pillows dramatically, picking at a loose thread on the blanket. He glanced over at Laxus, smiling.

“I admit,” Freed blushed, coughing, “I overheard you talking to Bixlow at the guild. I didn’t hear much,” he rushed out, noticing Laxus tense. “But I did hear you say that my love was too much. I didn’t stay to listen. You sounded angry and panicked. So I left.” Freed shrugged, mouth quirked to the side in thought. “But you love me?” He repeated, hope shining in his eyes as he looked at Laxus, who simply nodded. “I was,” he paused, “wrong…” he trailed off, frowning, disappointed in himself. Laxus laughed deeply, startling Freed again.

“You idiot, that’s what you got from this?” he chuckled, running a hand over his face. Freed sputtered, glaring at the dragon slayer. He leaned closer to Freed, despite his cheeks burning from embarrassment. “Yes, you were wrong,” he smirked. “Honestly, I didn’t want to fuck you up, tying you to me. I’m not anywhere near good enough for you, Freed Justine,” Laxus laughed, eyes soft as he gazed at the irritated rune mage. 

Freed continued to glare, balling Laxus’s shirt in his fist. “I already told you, you’re a good person. You deserve more than you give yourself credit for,” he said, eyes softening as he released the lightning mage. Laxus smirked, rolling his eyes. Freed huffed dramatically.

“Fuck Freed,” Laxus laughed, smiling brightly at him. “You didn’t understand at all.”

“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” Freed pouted, remembering his days of heartache.

“Because you deserve better,” Laxus shrugged. “But I’m a selfish asshole,” he grinned. Freed rolled his eyes, not arguing. Laxus chuckled, raising an eyebrow at the quiet, sulking mage. 

Laxus gripped Freed’s chin again, drawing him in, eyes turning serious. “I’m sorry, I should have talked to you sooner. I was-,” he hesitated, sighing. Freed’s eyebrows scrunched, head tilting to the side. “I was terrified.” Laxus shrugged, eyes locked on Freed. “But I love you, you idiot,” he grinned, leaning toward Freed and kissing him. His fingers curled into Freed’s long hair, deepening the kiss. Freed moaned, pressing closer.

A door banged open, startling both men. They jumped apart, blushing. A high pitched squeal from the doorway had Freed falling back into the bed, hiding his face behind the pillow and laughing. Great timing, Tilly, Freed thought. Laxus coughed, moving to casually lean back into the chair and stumbling, earning a round of giggles from his two visitors.

“Freed,” Tilly shouted, rushing over and pulling the pillow away from his face. Freed whined, reaching toward the pillow and trying to cover his face again. Tilly pulled away, tossing the pillow to Rin. It hit her in the face, but she managed to catch it, rolling her eyes. “Tell me everything,” she shouted, shaking his shoulders.

“You’re clearly feeling better,” Rin said, dropping the pillow on the counter and striding over, one eyebrow raised and smirking. She laughed as Freed sputtered, cheeks burning.

Laxus leaned back in the chair, arms crossed, determinedly staring at the ceiling with a slight blush on his cheeks. Freed glanced at Laxus for help and found nothing. He sighed, running his hands over his burning face. Tilly and Rin laughed, sitting on the edge of his bed together. Getting comfortable for a story, Freed thought bitterly. He flopped dramatically back onto the bed, falling further than expected without the pillow and landing with a thump.

“Come on, spill,” Tilly poked him in the leg, grinning. “And you too,” she poked Laxus in the knee, “I want to hear it all,” she laughed. Rin smiled, taking pity on Freed and retrieving his pillow again. Freed smiled gratefully, tucking it behind him so he could sit up in bed and both women had more room, shuffling closer.

“Where to start,” Freed mumbled, lost in thought. “Did you two hear about the fight?” He asked, glancing at both women.

“Yeah,” Tilly bobbed her head, “but nevermind that.” She grinned at her sister momentarily before looking back at Freed. “We saw you kiss,” she squealed, pointing her fingers at both men.

“We are happy you’re okay though,” Rin said, placing a hand on Freed’s knee briefly. She smiled warmly at the rune mage.

“Of course, of course,” Tilly nodded solemnly. She waited for three beats before bouncing in her seat. “But I want to hear about the kiss,” she whined, reaching out and shaking both men’s knees. 

Laxus blushed, huffing and rolling his eyes. “We kissed, what’s there to tell?” He muttered, still staring at the ceiling. He raked a hand through his hair, his palms sweating.

“Aw, that’s lame,” Tilly pouted. “Come on, Freed, my sweet, give me more than that,” she begged, eyelashes fluttering. Freed laughed, shoving her shoulder playfully.

Freed glanced at Laxus, a smug smile on his face. “You said you love me. That’s worth noting,” Freed said with a smirk. Laxus coughed, turning wide, betrayed, eyes to the rune mage.

“Well, yeah, but you didn’t have to tell them," he hitched his thumb at the two women. "They’re gossips,” Laxus muttered, frowning.

“Hey,” Rin shouted, “we’re trustworthy.” Her and Tilly pouted, crossing their arms. “I mean, you basically already told us everything anyway,” she said, glaring at Laxus.

Freed’s eyes widened as he stared at the lightning mage. “You did?” He asked faintly. Laxus shifted in his seat, hand combing through his hair.

“Yeah, while you were out. Not willingly, of course,” he grumbled. “I guess they’re the reason I decided to tell you,” he said, eyes softening as he glanced at Freed.

“You guess?” Tilly said dramatically. “We’re the only reason you told him,” she shouted, hands flinging up in frustration as she fell back onto Rin. Rin chuckled, catching Tilly. She nodded, grinning smugly at Laxus.

“Well, so what? You helped,” Laxus said, crossing his arms again. “Doesn’t mean I have to tell you anything. You already weaseled enough out of me,” he huffed, glaring at the floor, ignoring both women again.

“Thank you,” Freed said, smiling at the two women. “I don’t know what you said to him, but I’m grateful you did. My love for Laxus never waned and now I can relish in it.” He beamed. Laxus’s cheeks burned as he smiled at the floor. Freed grinned, head tilting as he took in his Thunder God.

Several seconds passed before Freed’s smile slipped from his face, his eyes widening. “Goodness,” he exclaimed, looking to Rin. “What of the library? I’m sure I’ll be well enough to finish it within the hour,” he said, moving to stand up. Three pairs of arms pushed him back down.

“Calm down,” Laxus rumbled. “We already finished it.” He sat back in his seat. Freed glanced around, eyebrows scrunched, mouth quirked.

“Yep,” Tilly grinned mischievously. “Your boyfriend helped us finish it,” she cackled as Freed started sputtering and Laxus started coughing, both men’s cheeks burning.

“Boy-boyfriend?” Freed managed, rolling so his face was shoved in the pillow.

“Well, yeah,” Rin said, giving Laxus a frosty glare. “You’re not going to confess your love and kiss him without making him your boyfriend, right?” She spoke to Laxus, voice cool. 

Laxus’s eyes widened and he put his hands up in surrender. “‘Course not,” he scoffed. He locked eyes with Freed, cheeks still red, and smiled. “I love the idiot.” Rin sat back with a nod, satisfied. Tilly giggled. Freed glared.

“Laxus,” Freed said, warning clear in his voice. Laxus simply shrugged, smirking. Freed huffed, rolling his eyes and smiling softly.

“So the job’s complete?” Freed asked, glancing at Rin once more. “Have you opened it to the public yet?”

“No, we have the opening scheduled for tomorrow morning.” Rin smiled. 

“We were hoping you would wake up by then,” Tilly said, leaning against her sister.

“Lucky for us, you did,” Rin laughed, running a hand through her hair. “We want you to be there for the opening. Will you?”

“Of course,” Freed said enthusiastically, grinning at both women. Laxus grunted his approval.

“Wonderful,” Rin shouted, standing up and dragging her sister with her. “Well, we’ll leave you two alone. If you want to have dinner with us at the diner, you’re welcome to, otherwise, get some rest and we’ll see you in the morning.” Rin and Tilly both hugged Freed briefly before heading out the door with smiles and waves.

Silence settled over the room after the two women left. Freed cleared his throat, opening his arms in invitation, blushing profusely. Laxus’s cheeks burned, but he stood, moving to Freed. He sat on the bed beside the rune mage and let himself be pulled into Freed’s embrace. He returned the gesture, smiling softly into Freed’s hair, inhaling his comforting scent.

“Boyfriend, huh?” Freed said, grinning into Laxus’s shoulder. Laxus sighed, squeezing Freed tighter.

‘Whatever you want, Freed. I've put you through enough hell,” he mumbled, releasing the rune mage and sitting back.

“Whatever I want?” Freed smirked. “I want to keep kissing you,” Freed laughed, glancing away and blushing. “But, I’m exhausted.” He frowned, raking a hand through his long locks as he glanced at Laxus. “I need to rest before dinner.”

“Okay then,” Laxus said, leaning toward Freed, fingers cupping his cheek as he kissed him again. It lasted only a few seconds, with Freed leaning into Laxus’s lips, before the lightning mage pulled back with a smile. “There. Now you can sleep,” he said, standing up and returning to his chair. “And I’ll keep watch,” he grinned at Freed.

“Thank you,” Freed said, smiling lovingly at his Thunder God before slipping his eyes closed and trying to sleep.


	25. Reunited

Freed woke the next morning, curled in Laxus’s arms, a pink tinge to his cheeks. He sighed, eyes drifting shut again before a loud banging startled him. Both men sat up, eyes wide. The door burst open with a muffled shout, revealing Tilly. She grinned at both men, one eyebrow quirked.

“Tilly?” Freed asked hazily, unconsciously leaning back into Laxus’s chest. Laxus’s cheeks burned, glancing down at the top of Freed’s head, the lightning bolt cowlicks mussed from a night of sleep. “What time is it?” He rubbed his eyes, blinking at her.

“8 o’clock. Rise and shine, love birds,” she grinned, walking in and pulling the curtains open. “Rin requested a wakeup call for you. I could have called, but that wouldn’t have been as fun,” she laughed, bouncing around the room. Freed groaned, flopping back further onto Laxus. Laxus groaned at the weight, but his arms clasped around the rune mage. Tilly tsked, hand on hip. “Come on,” she said, “you need to get ready and come down for breakfast within the hour or you’re gonna miss the library’s grand re-opening.” 

Freed sat up at that, jumping out of bed and racing around the room. “Hurry, Laxus,” he said, flinging clothes and other items at the lightning mage. Laxus huffed, pushing everything away.

“Exactly,” Tilly laughed. “See you soon,” she sang, running out of the room and back downstairs, the door slamming behind her.

A half-hour later, with Freed frantically running around the room and Laxus grumbling, both men were dressed, bags packed, and heading down to breakfast. Tilly and Rin were missing, so they ate in companionable silence. They scarfed their food, finishing in record time before heading across the street to the library.

Freed entered, dragging Laxus by the hand behind him and stopped in his tracks, admiring the work. “Thank you for finishing this,” he whispered, squeezing Laxus’s hand. Laxus shrugging, staring at their joined hands. Freed pulled Laxus further into the library, scanning the building for Rin. He spotted her in her office, talking with Tilly and the mayor.

“Freed, you’re here,” Rin said, smiling and coming over to hug him. Freed returned the gesture, greeting Tilly and the mayor as well. Laxus nodded, standing in the doorway, arms crossed as he leaned against the door frame.

“Everybody ready for the ceremony?” Rin asked, receiving a nod from all the occupants. She clapped giddily, leading them out the doors and placing a ribbon across the doorway. She handed a pair of scissors to the mayor as all the townsfolk filled the streets. Freed stood off to the side beside Laxus, leaning against the lightning mage. Laxus smiled down at Freed, his arm slung around the rune mage’s shoulders.

“Thank you all for coming, and for your commitment to art and learning,” the mayor said, glancing across the crowd. “All your generous donations and hard work have produced this beautiful masterpiece. You should all be proud of what we have accomplished as a town.” He smiled, locking eyes with each member of his community. “A special thank you to our guests, Freed and Laxus, alongside our wonderful Rin, for helping us with the finishing touches and getting our library back up and running. I’m delighted to announce,” he paused, positioning the scissors over the ribbon and smiling at the crowd, “that the library is now open,” he shouted, cutting the ribbon. The crowd cheered, lining up to view the beautiful library and check out books once more.

Freed stayed beside Laxus, content. They watched the crowd, the happy families and townsfolk, enter the building, awe on their faces. Freed waited until all the townsfolk were inside before following, Laxus in tow. He wandered through the tall shelves, the library crowded from the opening, until he spotted Rin and Tilly.

“I couldn’t be more pleased,” he said, catching Rin’s attention. “It’s a wonderful feeling, seeing your hard work pay off.”

Rin nodded, grinning wide as she glanced around. “It is,” she sighed. Tilly leaned against her sister, smiling at her. “They’re all so happy,” she grinned, gesturing around. Freed hummed in agreement.

“It’s a beautiful thing you did, Rin. You should be proud,” he smiled at her as she blushed. “I wish we could stay and celebrate, but I’m afraid we must be returning home,” Freed said.

“Already?” Tilly pouted.

“Yes, we’re needed in Fairy Tail. I’m sure my friends are still worried,” Freed’s mouth quirked at the thought, his eyebrows scrunching. Laxus squeezed his shoulder.

“I’m sure they’ll just be happy to see you again,” Rin said, leaning in to give Freed a hug goodbye. Tilly wrapped her arms around both of them, making all three laugh. Tilly released them, punching Laxus in the arm with a smirk. Laxus grunted, a small smile on his face. Tilly laughed as Rin released Freed.

“Will you come visit?” Freed asked, eyes hopeful. 

“Of course,” both women shouted, grinning at each other and calling jinx.

“Good. We’ll see you then.” Freed waved, clasping Laxus’s hand and dragging him through the crowds, out into the streets, smiling over his shoulder at the two women.

“Don’t forget to write,” Rin shouted over the crowd as they waved goodbye.

Laxus didn’t turn, but raised a hand and waved goodbye behind him. Freed smiled up at his Thunder God as they headed to the inn to collect their belongings.

The carriage and train ride were uneventful. Laxus slept the whole journey, his head in Freed’s lap as Freed carded his fingers through the lightning mage’s hair to quell the motion sickness. Freed got lost in a novel that Rin let him borrow, getting halfway through it by the time they reached Magnolia, the train slowing.

Freed shook Laxus’s shoulder, coaxing him out of sleep as the train lurched to a stop. “Come on,” Freed whispered, “it’s time to go home.” He rubbed the dragon slayer’s shoulder until he woke completely, eyes opening slowly.

Laxus grunted, shifting in his seat as the nausea subsided. He rose shakily, following Freed off the train. They paused for a moment on the platform as Laxus composed himself, the final traces of motion sickness vanishing. After Laxus felt more sturdy, they grabbed their bags and started walking through the streets of Magnolia, to the guild, hands joined together. Most of the journey was spent in companionable silence, but Freed felt an anxiousness coil around his gut. He started fidgeting with the strap on his bag, frowning and lost in thought.

Laxus released his hand to sling his arm over Freed’s shoulder, dragging him in with a soft smile. “What’s with the frown?” He asked, poking Freed’s lip.

Freed huffed, glancing up at Laxus. “I was simply- I mean,” he stuttered, trying to form a coherent thought. “What should I tell them?” He mumbled, running a hand through his hair and leaning into Laxus.

“The truth,” Laxus said simply, shrugging. 

Freed’s eyebrows scrunched. “Even…” he trailed off, gesturing swiftly between the two of them.

“Especially that,” Laxus smirked. “I’m a selfish asshole, I already told you that.” Laxus stretched, releasing Freed momentarily before placing a large hand on his head. “I want everyone to know that you’re mine.” Freed gulped, cheeks reddening. He squirmed away, glancing over at the lightning mage.

“Laxus,” Freed whispered, wide eyes searching Laxus’s face. Laxus quirked an eyebrow, smirking as he slung his arm around the rune mage again, pulling him close. Freed sighed deeply, inhaling Laxus’s scent as he leaned into him.

They rounded a corner and the guildhall came into view. Freed took a deep breath, following Laxus’s lead as he opened the door. The dragon slayer kept his arm possessively around Freed as they strode into the hall together.

A silence descended across the room as they stepped inside, the door slamming shut behind them. Laxus clenched his jaw, looking at the bar and not at any faces. Freed’s cheeks burned as he glanced around the room and saw the open mouths and wide stares of all his guildmates. Laxus cleared his throat, continuing toward the bar with Freed tucked under his arm. Nobody spoke. They simply stared at the couple as they walked through the hall.

Laxus growled, stopping feet from the bar and spinning abruptly, nearly toppling Freed. Laxus tugged Freed close, smashing their lips together, his hands cupping Freed’s face. Freed moaned, pressing closer. The kiss continued, the room fading from both their minds, caught up in one another.

A gasp startled the pair and they drew apart, glancing at the culprit. Freed gulped, stepping back from Ever as she glared at him.

“Hello, my dear Ever,” he said, voice gruff from the wound still. He raked a hand through his hair, unconsciously stepping closer to Laxus.

Laxus glared at Ever, before turning his icy gaze toward the rest of the room. “Got a problem?” He growled, several guild members gulping and hastily looking away. A few more brave souls, such as Natsu, looked on with a smirk.

A sharp whistle caused the three to jump, Freed’s eyes landing on Bix. He clutched his gut, toppling in laughter, the sound echoing across the hall. “Oh my god. Fucking finally, you wuss,” he giggled, pointing at Laxus. Laxus’s jaw clenched and he huffed, glaring at the seith mage. Freed blushed, running his hands over his face. Bix’s laughter seemed to snap everyone else out of it as excited chatter filled the hall again. Ever huffed, rolling her eyes at Laxus before bouncing over, and pulling both of them into a hug.

“Come on,” Laxus groaned, but returned the gesture. Bix came over, breathing heavily and ruffling Freed’s hair. Ever pulled back, eyeing Freed up and down, pausing at his bandaged neck.

“Are you okay?” She asked seriously, drawing Bix’s attention to the wound as well. His goofy friend quieted, fingers grazing the bandages briefly, eyebrows scrunching in concern as his giggles died down.

“Yeah, I’m well,” Freed said, smiling softly. Laxus nodded in confirmation as well. Bix grinned, giving Freed a big bear hug, scooping him off the floor and swinging him around.

“Aw, my little Freed-bean, all grown up and kissing boys,” he gushed, setting the flustered rune mage back on the ground as his tikis swirled around making kissing noises.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Ever said quietly with a nod, interpreting Bix and sparing Freed the embarrassment. Bix pouted, his tikis drooping in the air in disappointment. Ever frowned, stepping closer to Freed again. She punched him in the arm, startling the rune mage, and glaring at him. “What the hell, Freed?” she yelled, hands on her hips. “You leave for a week without telling us?” she shrieked. “And when did you two happen?” She gestured wildly between them, huffing dramatically.

Freed glanced up at Laxus, receiving a nod. “Yesterday,” he laughed. “I apologize for worrying you, Ever.” He bowed, smiling cheekily.

Ever rolled her eyes, sighing dramatically. “Well, I expect to hear every detail.” Freed nodded frantically. “But you seem tired, so it can wait,” her eyes softened, pulling Freed into another hug. “I’m so happy you’re safe,” she whispered. “Let’s grab some dinner, then you can tell me everything.” She pulled away, smirking. Freed groaned, moving closer to Laxus. Laxus rolled his eyes, glancing around the room.

“Hey lover boys, Mira made stir fry,” Bix sang, slapping Freed and Laxus on the backs before running over to their usual table. He cackled, his tikis following and making kissing sounds again. Freed blushed, hiding his face in Laxus’s shoulder as Ever laughed at him, flipping her hair over her shoulder haughtily as she walked away, following Bix to the table.

Laxus blushed, pulling Freed close and placing a chaste kiss on his temple. Freed grinned up at the dragon slayer, love shining deep in his eyes. Laxus slung his arm across Freed’s shoulders, grinning at the rune mage as they followed their two friends to the table, preparing to recount their adventure together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! I really hope you enjoyed this story!
> 
> As a side note, I'm considering writing snippets of the story from Laxus's perspective, since I have the scenes in my mind. Or even tacking on more chapters that show their established relationship better. I haven't decided yet. It depends on the level of interest and how much time I have in the future. But, if there's any interest in that down the line, I will.
> 
> For now, though, this is the story I wanted to write. I hope you all had as much fun reading it as I did writing it!


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